Ty Simpson said Kelly Stafford welcomed him to Los Angeles after the Rams drafted the Alabama quarterback No. 13 overall, while he awaits his first conversation with Matthew Stafford.
The Rams shocked the 2026 NFL Draft by taking Ty Simpson in the first round, but Dan Orlovsky says the move follows the quarterback succession model used by top organizations.
The Los Angeles Rams made one of the most intriguing moves of the draft when they selected quarterback Ty Simpson in the first round. But any talk of a looming quarterback controversy was quickly shut down. Head coach Sean McVay delivered a firm and emotional message, making it clear that veteran star Matthew Stafford remains firmly in control of the franchise. What could have been a story about transition immediately became one about stability.
The Los Angeles Rams shocked the NFL Draft by selecting Ty Simpson despite Matthew Stafford’s MVP season, raising questions about succession planning and roster priorities.
Matthew Stafford’s 2025 season did more than produce gaudy numbers or individual awards. It placed him in one of the rarest statistical and historical clubs in NFL history, alongside Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. By joining an exclusive group of quarterbacks who combined elite touchdown production with ball security under the highest competitive pressure, Stafford crossed a threshold that reshaped how his career must be viewed. This was not just an MVP season. It was a legacy season.
Matthew Stafford is in the middle of one of the most productive and efficient seasons of his long career, yet the conversation around his legacy continues to feel strangely dismissive. Even after winning a Super Bowl, earning All Pro honors, and now being named the Professional Football Writers of America NFL MVP, Stafford still finds himself questioned in ways few quarterbacks with his resume ever are. As the Los Angeles Rams push toward another Super Bowl appearance, the debate around Stafford’s place in NFL history has resurfaced. A closer look at the facts makes one thing clear. Matthew Stafford has already earned far more respect than he is often given.