Why did the Rams draft Ty Simpson? Los Angeles stuns fans by selecting Alabama QB to back up Matthew Stafford
The Rams pulled off a draft stunner on Thursday night, taking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
Why did the Rams draft Ty Simpson? Los Angeles stuns fans by selecting Alabama QB to back up Matthew Stafford originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Los Angeles Rams pulled off the biggest stunner of the 2026 NFL Draft, landing their potential quarterback of the future. Despite having a likely future Hall of Famer in Matthew Stafford already, Sean McVay and company used pick No. 13 in the first round on Alabama Crimson Tide passer Ty Simpson, who was expected to be a late-first or early-second rounder.
Instead, the Rams used their chance to grab Simpson, who becomes the backup to Stafford — and, according to Jay Glazer , it was a move made with the post-Stafford era in mind. Here's why the Rams took Simpson at No. 13 overall in one of the 2026 NFL Draft's most surprising selections.
2026 NFL DRAFT HQ: Live tracker | Pick-by-pick grades | Best players still available Why did the Rams draft Ty Simpson? The Rams have found plenty of success in the Stafford era, trading for the quarterback in 2021, then winning a Super Bowl and continuing to eye contention in the NFC. Stafford has blossomed into his later years as one of the NFL's best quarterbacks — at age 37, he finished second in MVP voting in 2025, leading one of the league's best air attacks.
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