Rare NFL Draft opportunity beckons as LA Rams zero in on ageing Matthew Stafford’s heir

The Los Angeles Rams have the newly-crowned MVP on their roster, but it’s never too early to build for the future.

Matthew Stafford will head into his 18th NFL season in 2026, and despite coming up short of Super Bowl glory this past year, he still looked a quarterback in his prime as he beat Drake Maye to the prize.

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Despite retirement fears, Stafford led the league with 4,707 passing yards, 276.9 yards per game, and 46 passing touchdowns — while throwing just eight interceptions.

The 37-year-old signal-caller carried the Rams to the NFC Championship Game, where they were beaten by the eventual Super Bowl LX champion Seattle Seahawks.

When he accepted the MVP award earlier this month, Stafford announced he would ‘see you guys next year’ to great applause.

The Rams and their veteran have unfinished business, and will be targeting one more shot at Super Bowl glory in 12 month’s time.

Stafford, though, might be joined by an exciting understudy on that journey.

Rams hold interest in top draft prospect

With both the 2025 NFL and college football seasons in the books, attention has turned to the upcoming draft.

Much of the talk has been around Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is April’s projected No. 1 pick, set to head to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Teams further down the board, including the Rams, have also been making plans.

According to NFL analyst Louis Riddick, the $10.7 billion valued franchise is interested in Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.

“I know personally (the Rams) like Ty Simpson,” Riddick told ESPN NFL Draft Daily over the weekend.

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“When you look at his skill set and you think about his makeup, that’s exactly what they’re looking for.”

In 2026, the Rams find themselves in a unique draft position, with two first-round selections.

Due to a trade with the Atlanta Falcons last year, they hold the 13th overall pick of the draft.

The team also has their own pick, at No. 29, following a postseason run to the NFC title game.

This is not something that usually happens in Los Angeles.

Since the Rams selected quarterback Jared Goff first overall in 2016, they have only used one first-round pick — it came in 2024, when they drafted linebacker Jared Verse 19th overall.

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All the others were traded away, for the likes of Brandin Cooks, Jalen Ramsey and Stafford.

Interestingly, the last time the Rams had the 13th pick, they used it to select legendary defensive lineman Aaron Donald in 2014.

This time around, they could take their future franchise quarterback.

Who is Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson?

While he’s not a name that has created major draft buzz quite yet, Simpson could actually be the second quarterback off the board in 2026, behind Mendoza.

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After he verbally declared for the draft, the 23-year-old was then offered lucrative deals to stay in college.

He fielded record-breaking NIL offers from Miami, Ole Miss and Tennessee that ranged from $4m-$6.5m, but decided against the transfer portal.

“There is no doubt in my mind that the last jersey I wanted to wear in college was the Alabama Crimson Tide jersey,” Simpson told AL.com in January.

“I came there. I stayed there. The last thing I wanted to do was tarnish my legacy and go somewhere else where I didn’t go out of high school and I didn’t want to play.”

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Now, Simpson is heading to the NFL, and could land on the West Coast with the Rams.

The 2026 quarterback draft class also includes the likes of controversial Heisman Trophy runner up Diego Pavia, Miami’s CFP finalist Carson Beck, and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier.

Behind Mendoza, it’s not out of the question to suggest Simpson is drafted as the second signal caller, and he could still be on the board when Los Angeles is on the clock with pick No. 29.

For Alabama, he threw 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns in his Junior year, while leading the Crimson Tide to an 11-4 record and the CFP quarterfinals.

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Stafford is returning to the Rams for another year, meaning the team has the opportunity to sit any QB prospect behind their veteran.

There’s no doubt Simpson would benefit from learning behind the Super Bowl LVI champion and reigning MVP. He could even be Stafford’s heir apparent.

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