The Los Angeles Rams shocked the NFL world on Thursday night by selecting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, a move that immediately sparked intense debate about the team’s quarterback situation and head coach Sean McVay’s apparent reaction to the decision.
The selection marked a historic moment as the Rams became the first team since 1967 to enter the draft with a reigning MVP quarterback and still use a first-round pick on a signal-caller. Matthew Stafford, who won the NFL MVP award for the 2025 season, remains under contract with Los Angeles through 2027, making the Simpson pick particularly perplexing to analysts and fans alike.
McVay’s demeanor during the Rams’ post-draft press conference quickly became the subject of widespread discussion across sports media. Multiple outlets reported that the head coach appeared visibly unsettled by the selection, with his brief answers and subdued tone fueling speculation about his true feelings regarding the pick.
“McVay had an interesting reaction to the Rams taking a QB with the 13th pick,” noted one sports journalist covering the event. “It looked like McVay would have preferred to have taken literally any other player at 13th overall.”
The Rams’ general manager Les Snead addressed the perception of discord the following day, insisting that he and McVay remain aligned on all organizational decisions despite the public reaction to the Simpson selection.
“I think, at the end of the day, Sean and I are going to always work together in these types of decisions,” Snead said during a Friday morning radio appearance. “There was a lot that was going on into maneuvering that draft. We’re in lockstep. We work together. We’re collaborative. It’s him and I partnering to endeavor to do the best for the Rams.”
Snead, who NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported was a significant influence in bringing Simpson to Los Angeles, emphasized the collaborative nature of the draft process within the Rams’ front office.
The historical precedent for such a move is rare indeed. The last time an NFL team selected a quarterback in the first round while entering the draft with a reigning MVP signal-caller occurred in 1967 when the Green Bay Packers, who had Bart Starr coming off an MVP season in 1966, chose Don Horn with the 25th overall pick. Horn spent two seasons backing up Starr before getting limited starting opportunities, ultimately appearing in just six games over four NFL seasons.
Critics of the Rams’ decision point to the team’s immediate championship aspirations as evidence that the pick lacks short-term logic. With Stafford in what is widely viewed as the twilight of his elite career at age 38, Los Angeles has been viewed as a win-now franchise seeking to maximize its Super Bowl window.
“The Rams are a team that’s trying to win now and Simpson simply isn’t a player who’s going to help them win this year,” explained one analyst in the immediate aftermath of the selection. The concern centers on Simpson’s developmental timeline and whether he can contribute meaningfully before Stafford’s eventual departure.
However, the Rams’ front office appears to be viewing the pick through a longer lens, prioritizing succession planning for the franchise’s most important position. By selecting Simpson, Los Angeles has potentially secured Stafford’s heir apparent while the veteran quarterback still has several productive seasons remaining.
The pick too represents a significant investment in the quarterback position, with the Rams now having two high-profile signal-callers on their roster. This dual-quarterback approach creates intriguing possibilities for how Los Angeles might utilize both players in the coming seasons, whether through traditional succession planning or more creative offensive packages.
As the initial shock of the selection begins to subside, attention will turn to how the Rams integrate Simpson into their quarterback room and what role he might play in 2026. While immediate playing time seems unlikely given Stafford’s continued effectiveness, the rookie quarterback will have ample opportunity to learn from one of the league’s most accomplished passers during what figures to be a critical developmental year.
The Rams’ decision ultimately reflects a franchise balancing present competitiveness with future stability—a delicate calculation that few NFL teams navigate successfully. Whether the Ty Simpson selection proves to be a masterstroke of long-term planning or a misjudgment of immediate needs will likely depend on how quickly the young quarterback develops and how Stafford’s career trajectory unfolds over the next few seasons.
For now, the image of Sean McVay’s tentative reaction to the pick remains one of the most talked-about moments from the 2026 NFL Draft, encapsulating the surprise and uncertainty that surrounded Los Angeles’ unexpected move in the first round. As with many draft decisions, the true value of the pick may not become clear for several years, leaving fans and analysts to debate its merits in real time.
Stay tuned to Archysport for continued coverage of the Rams’ quarterback situation and all developments from the 2026 NFL Draft as they unfold.
