The Los Angeles Rams drafted quarterback Ty Simpson from the Alabama Crimson Tide 13th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Simpson will not be starting right away unless quarterback Matthew Stafford were to get injured. There are a lot of people who think that head coach Sean McVay was not thrilled about the pick that was made by general manager Les Snead.
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Apr 24, 2026; Inglewood, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams first-round draft pick Ty Simpson poses with his jersey during a press conference at Code Next at Hollywood Park. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Simpson is in a good environment to start his NFL career. Many people thought that Los Angeles should have drafted someone else instead at 13 instead of reaching for Simpson. Well, there is a chance he doesn’t see the field for two years. Is Simpson going to be the answer in the long run for the Rams or not?
CBS Sports Insider Thinks That Ty Simpson Will Be the Quarterback of the Future For the Los Angeles Rams
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Apr 24, 2026; Inglewood, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams first-round draft pick Ty Simpson speaks to media during a press conference at Code Next at Hollywood Park. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports gave one reason for each NFL team entering the 2026 season as to why they should have hope for the now and the future. The Rams fanbase is worried about winning a Super Bowl next season at quarterback with Matthew Stafford, but DeArdo thinks that the Rams will be fine with Simpson when Stafford is long gone from the league. He said,
“A possible succession plan at QB
Instead of choosing a player that could help them win now, theRams— a team that nearly reached the Super Bowl last year — used the 13th overall pick in the draft to select their hopeful future quarterback inTy Simpson. Rest assured that the result of this risk will help define Rams general manager Les Snead’s legacy.
There are tangible reasons to believe that Snead made the right decision, starting with the fact that Simpson had an impressive 2025 season at Alabama, a season that is more impressive when you consider that Simpson played through several significant injuries during the season’s final eight games. Despite those injuries, Simpson still led the SEC in attempts and completions while throwing 28 touchdowns against just five interceptions.
Yes, the Rams missed out on a chance to draft a player who can help them win now with the 13th pick, but it’s not like Los Angeles didn’t make other moves this offseason designed to help them win now. In fact, with their other first-round pick, the Rams acquired former Chiefs All-Pro cornerbackTrent McDuffie, a player who can clearly help the Rams win in 2026.”
If Simpson turns out to be successful in the future for the Rams, it will go to show that he learned a lot from McVay and Stafford as well. It is better than the former Alabama quarterback landed with this franchise than being with either the New York Jets, the Arizona Cardinals, or the Cleveland Browns. Simpson would have been thrown into the fire right away with those teams rather and that won’t be the case here in Los Angeles, California.
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