Seahawks QB Jalen Milroe lauds Ty Simpson for 'trusting the process'
Jalen Milroe worked with Ty Simpson across three seasons at Alabama. He came away impressed by the 2026 NFL Draft prospect's progress and patience.
Ty Simpson is preparing to become the latest Alabama quarterback to get a shot at the NFL level . One member of that fraternity, Jalen Milroe , is particularly excited to get a chance to see how the 23-year-old fares at the NFL level. Milroe – a two-year Crimson Tide starter who was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft – spoke about Simpson's NFL future in an interview at the 2026 New Balance Kickoff , an event at which Milroe was officially announced as the company's newest NFL athlete partner.
"I'm so excited for him to be able to achieve a dream," Milroe told USA TODAY Sports. Milroe and Simpson overlapped for three seasons at Alabama, with both playing behind Bryce Young in 2022 before Milroe was installed as the starter in 2023. Simpson initially battled Tyler Buchner for the primary backup job behind Milroe but won it early in the 2023 campaign.
Simpson also spent the 2024 season operating in that capacity before emerging as a starter in his fourth and final season at Alabama. Milroe lauded the growth he saw from Simpson – who completed 64. 5% of his passes for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions in his lone season as a college starter – across time with the Crimson Tide and credited him for staying the course even as he was sparingly used.
"Him staying patient, trusting the process, that's so important," Milroe said of Simpson. Milroe noted patience has been a defining trait for many of the Alabama quarterbacks who have made it to the NFL in recent seasons. Specifically, he referenced a chain of NFL talents – Tua Tagovailoa , Mac Jones and Young – sitting behind established starters for a season or two before getting a chance to lead the team themselves.