The Los Angeles Rams raised eyebrows across the league by selecting Ty Simpson with the No. 13 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and even head coach Sean McVay appeared caught off guard in the immediate aftermath.
McVay’s subdued demeanor during his post–Day 1 press conference even sparked speculation that he may not have been aligned with general manager Les Snead on the decision to draft a quarterback.
Sean McVay Addresses Rift Speculation After Ty Simpson Decision
The Rams already have Matthew Stafford entrenched as their starting quarterback for the 2026 season, coming off an MVP-caliber campaign. With that in mind, many expected Los Angeles to target a wide receiver at No. 13, making the Simpson selection all the more surprising.
However, McVay quickly addressed the rumors the following day. Appearing alongside Snead after Day 2 of the draft, he opened with a lighthearted remark, asking, “What do you guys think, am I angry right now?” in response to the chatter surrounding his body language.
McVay said he had received “so many texts” Thursday night about his post-draft news conference that he wanted to clarify that he and Snead “couldn’t be in more lockstep in every decision that we make.”
“Always want to be mindful of how things come off, things like that,” McVay added. “Very excited about last night, very excited about today, and couldn’t be more excited about us continuing to lead together, but every decision that we make is collective and collaborative.”
“And so for any of the questions or misunderstandings just based on my demeanor or disposition last night, I did want to get that out of the way,” McVay continued. “This is my buddy right here.”
McVay went on to add that while he is excited about adding Simpson to the roster, he also wants to be respectful of how things may be interpreted, especially with the rookie viewed as a potential successor to Stafford.
Los Angeles had the best offense in the NFL last season, according to PFSN’s NFL Offensive Impact Metric, with an impact score of 92.3 and a letter grade of A-.
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Most of this was due to the MVP Award-winning season from Stafford, who will continue as the starter in 2026, although he has not indicated how much longer he plans to play.
But at 38 years old, it was clear the Rams need to plan for the future at quarterback, and by selecting Simpson, they may have found a potential long-term successor while giving him time to develop into a franchise starter, similar to what the Green Bay Packers did with Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers.
