The Rams made arguably the most polarizing move of the 2026 NFL draft when they selected Alabama’s Ty Simpson with the No. 13 pick, bringing the young quarterback in to become Matthew Stafford’s heir apparent.
Rams coach Sean McVay’s reaction to the pick went viral—and not in a good way—but McVay quickly brushed off speculation that he wasn’t happy about the organization’s decision to take a quarterback so early in the draft. McVay also made clear the Rams were still “Matthew’s team,” a statement that still needed to be said despite Stafford’s MVP-winning campaign last season.
So, what does Stafford think of his new backup quarterback and future successor? The one-time Super Bowl champ hasn’t yet publicly addressed the Rams’ pick and instead has been keeping busy... by coaching, of all things. Shortly after the NFL draft concluded, his wife Kelly posted a video to her Instagram Stories that showed Stafford coaching up his daughters’ flag football squad and drawing plays for them on a whiteboard.
“Quarterback’s eyes, if they start to go throw it that way, right? If you’re the furthest from it, maybe you start taking that angle just to make sure they don’t score, right?” Stafford said while huddling with the girls.
What Ty Simpson said about Matthew Stafford after getting drafted by Rams
Following his first-round selection, Simpson admitted he hasn’t heard from Stafford yet, though he did get a “Welcome to L.A.” message from Stafford’s wife Kelly through social media:
“Kelly has actually texted me on Instagram,” Simpson said. “Welcomed me and told me to hit her up with my family if we ever need anything. But I can’t wait to talk to Matthew. I’m super ecstatic because I just want to pick his brain.”
Simpson added that during the pre-draft process he had “secret meetings” with McVay, a significant fact given that neither McVay nor Rams GM Les Snead usually meet up with prospects before the draft. Those clandestine meetings were confirmed by Snead on Tuesday’s episode of The Pat McAfee Show, during which Snead said the organization had been doing its best to keep their Simpson pick under wraps.
“Sean McVay sat down with Matthew and Sean was the one that was communicating what our plans were,” Snead said. “... Matthew understands what the plan is and we're gonna continue chasing special moments with him.”
The Alabama product only has 15 starts across his collegiate career and will get the opportunity to develop under one of the best “quarterback whisperers” in the league in McVay, not to mention alongside the 2025 NFL MVP in Stafford.
As for Stafford’s immediate future with the organization, he and the Rams are still negotiating an adjusted deal and some progress has been made, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. Those waiting to hear Stafford’s honest opinion of Simpson will likely have to wait until later this summer when he and the other Rams veterans report to training camp.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Matthew Stafford Found the Perfect Offseason Distraction As Rams Draft QB Ty Simpson.
