The Los Angeles Rams are hoping they found their quarterback of the future after selecting Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Simpson is not expected to make much of an impact for the Rams this season with Matthew Stafford still playing at a high level.
Simpson recalled getting a welcome text from Stafford, who made sure to rib him about playing his college ball with the Alabama Crimson Tide, via Gary Klein of the L.A. Times:
“It was funny because, of course, he was like, ‘Welcome, man. I’m super pumped,’” Simpson said. “He was like, ‘Loved watching you play, but you played for the wrong jersey,’ because he’s pumping up Georgia.”
Simpson joked that he is going to have to defend his alma mater when he meets a couple of Georgia Bulldogs in Stafford and Stetson Bennett:
“So when I see him on Monday, I’m going to give him heck about that,” he said. “But it’s cool. I’m super excited, especially having him and [quarterback] Stetson [Bennett] in there, Georgia guys, and me, an Alabama guy, so I’ve got to stand up for myself.”
Stafford’s friendly banter with Simpson is another sign that the 38-year-old did not mind the Rams drafting his potential long-term successor at quarterback.
L.A. reportedly gave Stafford a heads-up about the pick, which helped ease any potential tension that may have arisen after the draft.
Simpson now finds himself in an outstanding situation, getting to learn from one of the best quarterbacks of his generation in Stafford and one of the best offensive-minded head coaches in Sean McVay.
Stafford has not indicated how much longer he intends to play, but Simpson will be ready to take the reins as the starting quarterback whenever he decides to call it a career. In the meantime, Stafford will look to lead the Rams back to the Super Bowl after the front office revamped the roster with several key additions.
Ty Simpson had secret meeting with Rams before 2026 NFL Draft
Shortly after the pick was made official, several reports indicated that Simpson did not expect to join the Rams. He revealed at a press conference that he never spoke to general manager Les Snead or McVay during the pre-draft process.
Simpson has since revealed that he had a private meeting with McVay before the 2026 NFL Draft and both sides wanted to keep it under wraps.