Rams select Alabama QB Ty Simpson No. 13 overall at NFL Draft: What pick means for Matthew Stafford
The Rams didn't wait for Day 2, grabbing Ty Simpson at No. 13 overall as a potential heir to MVP Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles
No, Matthew Stafford is not retiring, but that did not stop the Los Angeles Rams from spending a high draft pick -- No. 13 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft -- on quarterback Ty Simpson out of Alabama.
Stafford is the defending NFL MVP and the Rams are one of the early Super Bowl favorites for next season.
It was a big surprise to hear Simpson's name called so early in the draft. Leading up to Thursday's opening round, it wasn't a guarantee that he'd hear his name at any point in the first, and if it was then it would be in the 20s -- or so the thinking went. But clearly the Rams felt strongly in their belief of Simpson as Stafford's heir apparent down the line.
Simpson was CBS Sports' No. 2-ranked quarterback in the 2026 class after a stellar year as the Crimson Tide's starter. He earned second-team All-SEC honors after throwing for 3,567 yards in 2025, the fourth-most in program history. Simpson's numbers did dip in the second half of Alabama's season, but that may have been largely due to him losing weight as he reportedly dealt with a case of gastritis.
| Ty Simpson 2025 season | First 9 games | Final 6 games |
|---|---|---|
Completion percentage | 67% | 61% |
Passing YPG | 273.4 | 184.3 |
Yards per attempt | 8.3 | 6.3 |
TD-INT | 21-1 | 7-4 |
Simpson is the fourth Alabama quarterback selected in the first round since 2020, joining Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins), Mac Jones (Patriots), and Bryce Young (Panthers).
What Ty Simpson selection means for Matthew Stafford
The selection makes sense despite Stafford being a few months removed from NFL MVP honors, with the veteran only signed through 2026 and entering his age-38 season. Father Time could knock at any point, and Stafford flirted with retirement in the past, so having Simpson locked in as a future starter developing in the wings gives McVay and company long-term security at the position.
"Let's make one thing clear: this is Matthew's team," McVay told reporters on Thursday night. "You get a chance to be able to address the backup quarterback, we've got Stetson (Bennett), we've talked about the importance of Jimmy (Garoppolo). To be able to add somebody where you can evaluate a body of work where he was asked to play the position … there are a lot of things that coach (Ryan) Grubb did that's similar to how we operate, so it made it an easier evaluation … we're always going to make decisions that we think are best for the short and the long term."
However, this pick is interesting when paired with a report from NFL Media that noted Stafford and the Rams made significant progress on a contract extension. If Stafford plays beyond 2026, it could send the Alabama product on a Jordan Love-type track. Love was a first-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2020, but sat behind Aaron Rodgers for three seasons before taking the reins in 2023.
The Rams called Stafford earlier on Thursday to tell him of their plans to select Simpson, so the veteran was in the know at the time he was selected, according to ESPN. Keeping Stafford in the fold indicates that he is their unquestioned starter for 2026. Beyond that, it'll get interesting as the organization would likely want to see what they have in Simpson at some point after just using the 13th pick on him.
Overall, this appears like a solid succession plan given Stafford's age and contract situation, and Simpson likely needs some time to develop with just 15 collegiate starts under his belt.
"I hate sitting here and going, 'you're a player away in the draft from a Super Bowl.' At the end of the day, what we want to accomplish in the draft and any acquisitions that we have is to try to engineer as competent a team as possible, and then let's go to work," Rams GM Les Snead said. "Let's get through May, let's get through June, let's come back in August, let's then go to Australia and play game one and try to be the best team and try to evolve and play our best football at the end. I don't want to sit here in April and say, 'Ok, we drafted one player and now we'll go to the Super Bowl.' There is a lot of hard work that happens between this night and whoever is playing in that game in Feburary."
2026 NFL Draft essentials
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