When Ty Simpson was taken No. 13 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams last Thursday, the Crimson Tide quarterback admitted that he never really met or talked with head coach Sean McVay before being selected.
This narrative continued to the post-night presser with McVay and Rams general manager Les Snead, where the usually rambunctious, excited ball coach was subdued and stoic about the drafting of Simpson.
But the days following unraveled what appears to be an elaborate smokescreen by the Rams and McVay in particular, not only to throw off teams of their interest in Simpson but also to show reverence for reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, who is still negotiating a new contract with the Rams for the upcoming season.
Simpson opened up about the process and his white lie at the draft on Monday in an interview with Ian Fitzsimmons on ESPN Radio’s “Amber & Ian” show.
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“It was something 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. “… 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.”
The Crimson Tide QB then went on to explain the “hours-long” key meeting he had with the Rams leader, as the two connected over their love of football and their shared understanding of the game.
“It was just straight football,” said Simpson. “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.”
Although Simpson is projected as McVay’s QB of the future, Stafford is firmly the team’s leader until the 38-year-old signal-caller is ready to hang up his cleats. McVay has already confirmed that Simspon will be competing with former two-time College Football Playoff national champion QB Stetson Bennett for the backup spot on the roster.
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