Led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Los Angeles Rams enjoyed a near-stellar 2025 NFL campaign — ultimately losing the NFC Championship Game to eventual Super Bowl winners in Mike Macdonald’s Seattle Seahawks.
Stafford notched more regular-season passing yards (4,707) and threw for more touchdowns (46) than any other player, culminating in his being crowned the AP NFL Most Valuable Player for the first time in his career.
And as rumors around the 38-year-old veteran’s future swirled, Stafford announced during his MVP speech that he would continue with the Rams in 2026.
Yet, according to ESPN’s Louis Riddick, Rams general manager Les Snead remains interested in preparing for life after Stafford – and could opt to onboard one of college football’s most promising young quarterbacks in the upcoming NFL draft, Ty Simpson.
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“I know personally they [Rams] like Ty Simpson from Alabama. When you look at Ty’s skillset and you think about Ty’s makeup that’s exactly what they’re looking for,” Riddick said on ESPN’s “NFL Draft Daily.”
Simpson was officially named as the starting quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide in August. He threw for 28 touchdowns and secured 11 wins before a Rose Bowl defeat at the hands of the eventual national champion Indiana Hoosiers ended his College Football Playoff run.
Having declared for the 2026 NFL Draft on Jan. 7, he stands as one of the most tantalizing prospects on the board. Many mock drafts place the signal-caller as a first-round pick – sitting alongside Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza as a standout option behind center.
With the curtain surely closing on Stafford’s near-two-decade career, Simpson could well benefit from sitting behind the experienced quarterback for one year and enter 2027 as head coach Sean McVay’s starter.
And, as outlined by Riddick, Simpson fits the ideal profile for a Rams quarterback. Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 208 pounds, the 23-year-old is not only suited to endure the inevitable hits presented by an NFL defense, but he also possesses a demonstrable ability to maneuver quickly under pressure.
The Rams hold two first-round picks, No. 13 and No. 29. They will need to hope that Simpson remains available after the New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins make their selections during the opening round. Each team is searching for a solution to its quarterback issues this NFL offseason.
Attention now turns to the imminent NFL Combine, held Feb. 23-March 2, where Simpson will perform under the watchful eyes of representatives of all teams.
Should the Rams follow through with Riddick’s expectation that the Alabama quarterback is “exactly” what Rams’ staff want from this year’s draft, SoFi Stadium could welcome its newest long-term quarterback when the NFL draft gets underway on April 23.
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