With the No. 13 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, the Los Angeles Rams selected Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson. The immediate reaction in LA circles was a mix of excitement and disappointment.
Per Ramblin' Fan's Bret Stuter, "There is a bit of excitement over this selection that comes as no surprise. But there is a bit of disappointment as well. Many fans understand that Simpson will not see any action in 2026, and that bodes well for his future NFL career."
Of course, finally having a Matthew Stafford successor is a major sigh of relief for Rams fans. Stafford has looked like a potential retirement candidate for years, and he'll be 39 by the time the playoffs conclude next February.
Simpson, though, famously crashed and burned during the Rose Bowl this past January, getting blasted 38-3 by the Indiana Hoosiers in Pasadena. He had 67 passing yards against the eventual national champions.
Before that, in the SEC Championship Game, a 28-7 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs that should've eliminated Alabama from the CFP, he was 19/39 with an interception. In the Iron Bowl, Simpson had 153 all-purpose yards.
Simpson has plenty of positive performances from the 2025 season that should give Rams fans hope. LA shouldn't think the next big thing was just taken with the No. 13 pick before Sean McVay begins developing him, though. It could take some time, and the Rams could take some bumps along the way once Stafford retires.
Not getting a weapon for Stafford before he potentially goes is, predictably, not sitting well with everyone.
Ty Simpson's time could with the Rams could come in 2027
Simpson could be the next Crimson Tide QB starting in the NFL sooner rather than later.
Stafford is on an expiring contract, and while there's been smoke surrounding an extension in recent days, it's unclear how Simpson's arrival changes that. Perhaps 2026 is it for Stafford in LA, and maybe the NFL as a whole.
Simpson is fresh out of the frying pan in Tuscaloosa, where leading a three-loss team only deepened the resentment from Alabama's fanbase toward the Kalen DeBoer era, and soon enough, he'll be thrown into the fire in LA. We'll see how following an MVP works out for Simpson.
Add us as a preferred source on Google