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The Los Angeles Rams shocked the football world by selecting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. While the Rams stunned just about everyone Thursday night, the decision was the culmination of several months of work on Simpson, according to head coach Sean McVay.
In an interview with FS1’s “The Herd,” McVay told Colin Cowherd that the Rams didn’t make the sudden decision to select Simpson with the 13th overall pick because they still have reigning MVP Matthew Stafford on their roster.
“There wasn’t this great moment, it was a combination of work,” McVay said. “You like the overall body of work and you say, ‘Hey, this guy has the potential to one day become what we would consider a possible starting quarterback.’ We will welcome Ty into the building with open arms, but what I thought was important for me to make sure everything was clear was to not misrepresent it. We’re trying to win right now and we have decisions to make in the short and long term. »
Simpson only started one season at Alabama, which gave him less experience than most other quarterbacks drafted in the first round in recent years. However, Simpson had an impressive year in his only season as Alabama’s starter. He finished the season with 3,567 passing yards, 30 total touchdowns and five interceptions. He also won four straight against AP Top 25 teams, leading the Crimson Tide to their first College Football Playoff appearance under head coach Kalen DeBoer.
As a result, Simpson was widely considered the No. 2 quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft, behind Fernando Mendoza. FOX Sports NFL Draft analyst Rob Rang gave the Rams a B grade for the Simpson pick, calling it a “courageous” pick.
“There’s no denying he fits well into Sean McVay’s offense — he was listed as such on my best NFL team for each of this year’s QBs — but it’s easily THE The bravest pick of the first round so far,” Rang wrote. “This is obviously a decision made for the long term. But I can’t help but wonder if the Rams, likely Super Bowl contenders in 2026, later wish they had drafted a player more likely to make an immediate impact. »
Even though Rang and a few others liked Simpson’s selection because of his position value, there was still a huge elephant in the room with the pickaxe. But McVay also made it clear that the team made it a priority to keep Stafford in the loop when selecting Simpson. McVay said communication was extremely important and called Stafford a “real stud” throughout the process.
“If you can’t have some comfort in the conflict, but it’s all rooted in trust in this person. I know what she’s saying is the truth…you can overcome these things,” McVay said. “I think one of the biggest breakthroughs in our relationship was having to go through some of the difficult conversations we had last season.”
Stafford showed no signs of aging last season, throwing for 4,707 yards, 46 touchdowns and eight interceptions as he led the Rams to the NFC championship game. He and the Rams are also reportedly discussing an extension to keep him under contract a little longer. Still, Stafford turned 38 in February and McVay admitted the quarterback’s commitment was likely year-to-year at that point.
Yet even though Simpson is Stafford’s heir apparent, he will first have to move up the ranks to become their backup quarterback. With the team in the midst of organized team activities (OTAs), McVay reiterated that Simpson will compete with Stetson Bennett for the primary backup job.
