Rams slammed for Ty Simpson decision that could damage Matthew Stafford’s Super Bowl hopes

The Los Angeles Rams’ decision to take Ty Simpson in the first round of the 2026 Draft has caused quite the storm.

From head coach Sean McVay’s rather unimpressed reaction on the night, to suggestions that the team has buyer’s remorse, the rookie is facing an uphill battle from Day 1 in Los Angeles.

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Simpson will also be walking into a quarterback room he’ll share with reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, and he’ll join a roster ranked as the favorites to make a Super Bowl run.

But according to ESPN’s Seth Walder, the decision to pick the Alabama prospect at No. 13 overall has damaged hopes of lifting the Lombardi Trophy next February.

ESPN slams Ty Simpson as worst offseason move Rams made

The NFL analyst has suggested LA’s ‘biggest’ offseason move was a blockbuster trade for Myles Garrett, and that the move he ‘liked’ the most was signing cornerback Jaylen Watson.

Walder’s most ‘disliked’ move, though, was drafting Simpson.

“On offense, the Rams extended Stafford, guaranteeing him $50 million in 2027 and ensuring the reigning MVP would stick around,” he wrote.

“But they swerved drastically from their Super Bowl window-maximizing approach when they drafted Simpson with the No. 13 pick.

“Selecting a player who won’t play without a Stafford injury is the opposite of maximizing their current window. And it looks even stranger after the Garrett trade.

“It’s not because backup quarterbacks don’t matter — they do — but a veteran backup could have been had for much less capital.”

Walder, in his brutal analysis, went on to suggest that the Rams missed a big opportunity by failing to draft a new offensive weapon in Round 1.

He expalined: “Simpson was a reach at No. 13; the Rams could have traded back and still had a good chance to select him later.

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“The argument that it wasn’t the Rams’ original pick (it was the result of the Falcons trading up to draft James Pearce Jr. in 2025) and therefore was ‘extra’ is irrational — it’s still worth the same!

“It was a big missed opportunity to add a non-quarterback (like a third wide receiver) who could have helped in 2026.”

Walder’s verdict, as scathing as it seems, makes sense when it comes to Simpson’s rookie season. If all goes well, he won’t need to come off the bench, and could finish with a ring in his debut year.

But it also doesn’t take into account the big picture, and long-term future of the Rams.

Stafford is coming to the end of his career, and Simpson will now have at least 12 months to learn behind the reigning MVP, before one day stepping into the starting role.

Ty Simpson excited to share locker room with Rams ‘greats’

It’s become a rarity for the Rams to use a first-round pick in recent years — Simpson is just their second selection in the last decade — and it’s perhaps even rarer to take a top quarterback prospect off the board.

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While he might not have the hype of No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza, or the pool of signal callers set to come out of college in 2027, Los Angeles has found Stafford’s heir apparent.

And he’s ready to make the most of his opportunity.

“I think it’s really, really cool to, one, be in the room with Matthew, who has done it at a high level for so long, and then see it from a wide receiver standpoint with Davante (Adams) and Puka (Nacua),” Simpson said in May, of working with LA’s star offensive trio.

“Davante especially, because of him being similar to Matthew, but I think both of those guys are two guys who are one of the greatest at their positions.

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“The fact that I can watch both of them at the same time on my team, it’s a big advantage for me.”

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