“It’s Good Business,” Dan Orlovsky Defends Rams’ Bold Ty Simpson Pick

The Los Angeles Rams did not need a quarterback for Week 1. Matthew Stafford is coming off an MVP season, plans to play in 2026, and still sits at the center of Sean McVay’s offense. Los Angeles had a top-15 pick, a veteran quarterback with championship credibility, and a roster that could have used immediate help elsewhere.

Instead, the Rams took Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 13, turning a contender’s draft night into a long-range succession play. The surprise was not simply that the Rams drafted a quarterback. It was where they did it. Simpson, widely viewed by many evaluators as a possible late-first or second-round option, became the second quarterback off the board after Fernando Mendoza went No. 1 to the Raiders.

But Simpson’s arrival changes the future. He gives the Rams a first-round developmental quarterback, a possible succession plan and a reason to believe they will not have to start over whenever Stafford’s run ends. The Rams did not draft Simpson because they needed him immediately. They drafted him because, in their view, waiting until they did need a quarterback would have been the bigger risk.

He now enters the league behind one of the NFL’s most established starters, with no immediate path to the job but with unmistakable first-round capital attached to his name. That tension is exactly where Dan Orlovsky placed his defense of the move. The ESPN analyst did not present the selection as a challenge to Stafford’s 2026 role. He described it as the kind of forward-looking quarterback decision that stable franchises make before the position becomes a crisis.

1. Orlovsky Supports the Rams’ Ty Simpson Move

Dan Orlovsky’s full response on First Take was built around timing, patience and organizational nerve. He said, “It’s good business by the Rams. It’s good business by the Rams, okay? Good organizations are always living in the now and the future. And if we look at the quarterback spot, more often than not, the organizations that are drafting that position when they want to, rather than they need to, long-term win out.” He continued, “If you think back to when the Ravens took Lamar Jackson, they had Joe Flacco. If you think of when the Green Bay Packers took Jordan Love, um, they had Aaron Rodgers. If you think of when the Kansas City Chiefs took Patrick Mahomes, they had Alex Smith. I think this young man’s a really good player. I understand the 15 starts, but those 15 starts on tape, 10 of them are unbelievable before he gets hurt. And I thought it was the best tape in this year’s class.” “He gets to go to a place that, organizationally, top to bottom, is well-run. He gets to go to a coach that is as good as anybody in football, and he learns behind a future first-ballot Hall of Famer. So this isn’t about the now for them; this is about the future, and this is what well-run organizations do,” Orlovsky concluded.

2. Stafford is QB1, But the Clock is Ticking

McVay tried to draw the line quickly after the pick. The Rams’ public position is that Stafford remains the starter, and the team’s own post-draft messaging made clear that Los Angeles still views this as Stafford’s team. Stafford has played an instrumental role behind the Rams’ success. He delivered the Rams a Super Bowl, rebuilt his career in Los Angeles, and is coming off an MVP season. As per reports, Stafford plans to play in 2026 and the Rams have spoken optimistically about him playing multiple seasons. The Rams also moved to keep him informed. ESPN reported that Los Angeles called Stafford on draft day to tell him they were selecting Simpson, a necessary step for a franchise bringing a first-round quarterback into a veteran-led room. Still, a top-15 quarterback changes the daily environment. Simpson will not be treated like an ordinary backup. His preseason snaps, practice reports and every McVay answer about quarterback development will carry a different weight because the Rams did not wait until Round 3 or Round 4 to take him. That is the unavoidable tension. Stafford remains the player who can win for Los Angeles now. Simpson becomes the player who represents what comes after. The Rams have to make those two realities coexist without allowing a future-facing pick to distract from a roster still trying to contend.

3. The $6 Million Gamble: Why Limited-Start Ty Simpson Gets What No Other First-Round QB Does

Simpson’s college resume is not built on volume. He started one full season at Alabama, and that limited sample became one of the central questions in his evaluation. The production was strong enough to support a first-round case. Simpson threw for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2025, completing 64.5 percent of his passes. The concern, though, was experience. Simpson had only 15 college starts, and even Orlovsky acknowledged that number while arguing that the best portion of his tape stood above the rest of the quarterback class. That is why his landing spot matters as much as his draft slot. Los Angeles gives Simpson something many first-round quarterbacks never receive, i.e., time. He does not have to take over a losing team, rescue a new coaching staff or absorb weekly pressure from a fan base demanding immediate starts. He gets McVay’s offense, Stafford’s example and an organization that has already proven it can build around quarterback play. The Rams’ decision was still a gamble because of the opportunity cost. At No. 13, Los Angeles could have taken a player with a clearer Week 1 role. A contender with Stafford at quarterback could have added protection, pass rush, cornerback help or another immediate piece for McVay’s 2026 push. Instead, the Rams used the pick acquired through last year’s draft-day trade with Atlanta to build a quarterback bridge beyond Stafford. The NFL’s official blog described the move as a “stunning turn,” noting that few expected Simpson to go in the top half of the first round. The pick also arrived with unusual draft-night details. Simpson said he had not spoken directly with McVay before being selected, and reports described the choice as a surprise even by first-round quarterback standards. But the Rams’ broader logic is clear. Quarterback plans are easier to build when the current starter is still good. Once the starter retires, declines or gets hurt, the entire league knows the need. Prices rise, options shrink and patience disappears. That’s the last thing any management would want.

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