Ty Simpson Makes Surprising Rams Admission After NFL Draft
The Los Angeles Rams had many people surprised when they selected Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson 13th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Several teams had been projected to select Simpson, with the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers commonly linked to Simpson in Round 1.
But, it was the Rams who took him despite having Matthew Stafford as the starter and Stetson Bennett as the backup on the roster right now.
Rams coach Sean McVay then went viral for his reaction to the Simpson choice, with some suggesting that the coach didn't want to take the Alabama signal-caller.
As it turns out, Simpson and McVay had a "secret meeting" that the QB admitted to during a radio segment on Monday, via Sarah Barshop of ESPN.
"We tried to keep this under wraps as long as we could," Simpson said in Monday's interview. "It was something to where I knew they were interested, but they wanted to make it private and didn't want people to know that they were interested," Simpson said during an interview with Ian Fitzsimmons on ESPN Radio's "Amber & Ian."
"So, I had some secret meetings with Coach McVay, and I just was trying to be on script and do what everybody told me and not to tell anybody," Simpson added.
That is, as they say, a giant smokescreen by the Rams, and if teams had known, they likely would've been more aggressive to trade up ahead of LA to acquire the QB2 of the class.
McVay also gave a long-winded answer about the Simpson pick after the first round came to an end.
#Ramshouse HC Sean McVay On whether Ty Simpson was there first target or whether other players were in consideration? : "Let's make one thing clear, this is Matthew's team. You get a chance to be able to address the backup quarterback. We've got Stetson. We've talked about the… pic.twitter.com/rjdBhJSFQD
— Nick Hamilton (@NickHamilton213) April 24, 2026
Ty Simpson Said He Was a Kid at a Candy Store
Simpson started just one season at Alabama, but he showed his skills and was far and away the second-best QB of this class outside Indiana's Fernando Mendoza.
As far as the meeting with McVay and the Rams, Simpson said he was like a "kid at the candy store."
"And it was just football," Simpson said. "It was just straight football. And it was like a kid in a candy store. Me and him are sitting there, and we're just going back and forth. You can tell the obsession he has for the game, and you can tell the love he has for quarterback play."
The selection of Simpson was a surprising one for many, especially with the Rams right on the verge of an NFC title, but in the end, it makes sense with him being able to develop and learn from Stafford.
Related: Los Angeles Rams HC Sean McVay explains away draft day controversy
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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 7:39 PM.