The rumors will never cease so long as the Los Angeles Rams don’t have a clear succession plan for Matthew Stafford. And with the 2026 NFL draft swiftly approaching, speculation will continue to swirl around who will run the Rams’ offense once Matthew Stafford retires.
Perhaps the biggest name circling the rumor mill is Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Rams’ interest in Simpson is “an open secret” this offseason. The Rams reportedly did a lot of work on Simpson before the draft and were targeting him with the No. 29 pick before trading it to the Kansas City Chiefs for cornerback Trent McDuffie.
Graziano added that even though talk of the Rams drafting Simpson in the first round has quieted down, he still hasn’t ruled out L.A. trading back and taking the quarterback or even selecting him at No. 13 anyway.
If they truly believe Simpson has the potential to be Stafford’s successor, I don’t think it’s ridiculous to think they could go ahead and take him.
Add in that division-rival Arizona — which many believe is the real team to watch for Simpson — holds the 34th pick and would be a candidate to either draft him there or trade back into the first round to land him and it makes the Rams/Simpson theories a little bit spicier.
The biggest pro for drafting Simpson is simply that he would never be expected to start in 2026. He only started 15 games at Alabama, but finished the 2025 season with 3,567 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and just five interceptions. A year to sit and develop Stafford in head coach Sean McVay’s offense could turn Simpson into a solid option for the Rams’ future quarterback dilemma, even if it costs them an early first-round pick.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: NFL insider: It’s ‘an open secret’ Rams like this QB prospect
Reporting by Oliver G., Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
