Former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Getty
Former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford may already have a replacement coming to the Los Angeles Rams.
Matthew Stafford served as the franchise quarterback for the Detroit Lions from 2009 to 2020, and after a decade with the team, he’ll always have history with the Lions. Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, in a move the he wanted, and went on to win the team a Super Bowl during his first year in L.A.
Now, Stafford can say that he’s the latest NFL MVP. During the NFL Honors event on February 5, he won the honor, and while accepting it he announced that he’s coming back for another season.
It was a dramatic way to announce that he’s coming back for another season, and we wouldn’t expect anything less from this longtime quarterback. But, Stafford is nearing the end of his career, and even though he’s coming back in 2026, the Rams need to figure out an apt replacement for him to eventually take over.
Former Detroit Lions Quarterback Matthew Stafford Gets Bold Prediction for Successor
In a Saturday, February 28, feature for USA Today, Jacob Camenker names his top 2026 NFL draft picks for specifically the quarterback position. As for the Los Angeles Rams, sees them picking a quarterback early in the draft with Ty Simpson out of Alabama as the No. 29 overall, first round pick.
Simpson is one of the hot names at the NFL Combine. He completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions in his one season as a full-time starter at Alabama.
In the piece, Camenker notes that he’ll “need time to gain more experience and iron out his consistency issues, but his combination of accuracy and ball placement, along with his ability to navigate and manipulate the pocket, should allow him to develop into a solid NFL starter, at the very least.”
But, he’s absolutely a strong pick, especially if the Rams want to hone a successor for Stafford. “Simpson has a wide draft range, as he could end up being a top-five pick but could also slip to the end of the first round,” Camenker explains. “This scenario would represent his floor, and it would feature quarterback-needy teams like the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers passing on him.”
He adds, “Simpson wouldn’t complain about this landing spot. He would get a chance to learn behind reigning MVP Matthew Stafford and establish himself as the long-term successor for the 38-year-old in Sean McVay’s quarterback-friendly offense.”
Rising Quarterback Gets ‘A’ Grade at NFL Combine and May Be a Successor to Matthew Stafford
In a Sunday, March 1 feature for CBS Sports, Josh Edwards discusses Simpson’s showing at the NFL Combine, based on his numbers and research. He actually gives him an A grade, so it doesn’t get better than that.
“Ty Simpson had what I considered only two bad throws on the day — one on an out route and another on the rail,” Edwards notes in the feature. “From the out route to the go route, Simpson threw with touch and strong ball placement. The son of Tennessee-Martin head coach Jason Simpson showed quiet feet with little wasted movement in his footwork.”
He adds, “The Alabama quarterback is an interesting evaluation. He is an older prospect with essentially one year of starting experience, and the results of that season were volatile. His performance separated him as QB2 in this class, which could mean late first-round or early second-round consideration.”