“I HATE That the Rams Took Ty Simpson,” Rams’ NFL Draft Pick Puts Matthew Stafford in Awkward Spotlight

The Rams did not just draft a quarterback Thursday night. They introduced a timeline question into a locker room still built around Matthew Stafford, a 38-year-old reigning MVP who had already made clear he intended to keep playing in Los Angeles. That is why Ty Simpson’s selection at No. 13 overall landed with such force.

The pick gave Sean McVay and Les Snead a possible post-Stafford plan, but it also used premium draft capital on a position where the Rams already have one of the league’s most accomplished starters. Stafford won the 2025 NFL MVP award in a tight vote over Drake Maye and announced during his acceptance speech that he would return for the 2026 season.

The tension is not about whether NFL teams should plan ahead. It is about timing and opportunity cost. The Rams were coming off a season in which Stafford remained elite, and reports earlier this week said the team had made “significant progress” on an extension with him. Simpson, meanwhile, arrives as one of the most debated quarterback prospects in the class.

Simpson’s 2025 Alabama production numbers stand at 3,567 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 76.0 QBR, strong numbers from a quarterback who started only one college season. The result is a classic franchise-quarterback dilemma. A Super Bowl-winning veteran still operating at a high level, a front office trying to avoid a future quarterback void, and a rookie who now becomes a symbol of both ambition and uncertainty.

1. NFL Expert Says Matthew Stafford “HATES” Rams’ Ty Simpson Pick

The strongest public reaction came from Ross Tucker, the former NFL offensive lineman and current broadcaster. Tucker played seven seasons in the NFL before moving into media and podcasting. When asked about the pick, Tucker answered, “If I’m Matthew Stafford I hate that the Rams took Ty Simpson number 13. No matter what he’ll end up saying publicly. If I’m Matthew Stafford, I am furious.”

2. Inside the Rams’ Rare 13th Pick on Ty Simpson And McVay’s Immediate Stafford Reassurance

Los Angeles’ move to select Simpson with the 13th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft has been widely described as one of the first major surprises of the night. Reports have framed the pick as a future-looking decision made despite Stafford’s MVP status. According to AP, McVay immediately reaffirmed the team’s hierarchy by saying, “Let’s make one thing clear: This is Matthew’s team.” The Rams’ decision also stood out because of the organization’s recent draft history. Snead made a first-round pick for only the second time in the past decade, and the Rams used that rare selection on a quarterback rather than a player more likely to help Stafford immediately. That is the core of the reaction around the league. Los Angeles did not take Simpson late in Round 1 as a low-cost developmental flier. They took him at No. 13, where teams usually expect a foundational player or immediate-impact starter. Simpson’s profile explains part of the attraction. He started all 15 games for Alabama in 2025, led the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff and protected the ball well enough to finish with only five interceptions. But he had limited starting experience, and some pre-draft projections saw him as a possible late-first or second-round target rather than a clear top-15 pick. On3 reported two days before the draft that Peter Schrager had Simpson believing he would go in Round 1, but also said he did not have an obvious team loudly attached to him.

3. How Sean McVay Must Empower MVP Matthew Stafford While Developing Future QB Ty Simpson

The Rams’ football logic is understandable on one level. Stafford is 38, entering his 18th NFL season, and quarterback succession is one of the hardest problems for a contender to solve after the veteran declines or retires. Simpson will likely be viewed as Stafford’s successor. The challenge is that succession plans do not exist in a vacuum. Every developmental quarterback consumes practice reps, media attention and organizational oxygen. When that quarterback is taken at No. 13, the conversation becomes unavoidable. McVay’s immediate message attempted to reduce that pressure. He gave Stafford public backing and framed Simpson as a future investment rather than a present challenge. But the Rams’ 2026 season will now be covered through two lenses. Every Stafford contract update, every training camp throw by Simpson and every McVay comment about the quarterback room will be read as part of the same transition story. That is the cost of making this move while Stafford is still performing at an MVP level. The Rams may have improved their long-term stability, but they also introduced a new storyline into a season that otherwise could have been centered on another championship push. For Simpson, the situation could be ideal if handled properly. He joins a creative offensive coach, a veteran quarterback with championship experience and a roster that does not need him to play immediately. For Stafford, the same situation creates a professional reality that Tucker captured. The future has arrived before the present is finished. Whether the move becomes bold or disruptive will depend less on draft-night reaction than on what happens next. The Rams must keep Stafford fully empowered while developing Simpson quietly enough that the future does not destabilize the present.

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• Matthew Stafford
• Ty Simpson