The Los Angeles Rams were one of the best teams in the NFL during the 2025 season, with veteran star quarterback Matthew Stafford playing at an elite level, earning him the NFL MVP award for the first time in his career.
Even though Stafford was second to none at his position, it wasn’t enough for the Rams to get back to the Super Bowl, as they lost to the division rival Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game.
Following that loss, all eyes turned to Stafford and whether he was interested in continuing his playing career, as retirement seemed like a real possibility for the then-37-year-old signal-caller.
Rams’ Les Snead & Sean McVay Explain Ty Simpson Pick
GettyTy Simpson of Alabama celebrates after being selected thirteenth overall pick by the Los Angeles Rams
With Stafford nearing the end of his playing career in the NFL, the Rams were expected to address the quarterback position at some point, but they shocked everyone when they traded up in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to select quarterback Ty Simpson out of Alabama.
Now that Simpson is in the fold, the obvious questions surround Stafford’s immediate future and what the team plans to do with their new rookie quarterback from the Crimson Tide.
“We’ll see. He’s gonna compete with Stetson [Bennett IV],” McVay said of Simpson.
Longtime Rams general manager Les Snead explained the logic of trading up to draft Simpson.
“You could draft someone that you think’s going to be immediate and right, it could have an injury … then you’re like, wait a minute, we’re going to have to delay it,” Snead said. “You could draft someone for the future, and there could be an injury, and it’s like wait a minute, that was for the future, and now it’s now.
“So I don’t know if you can ever take someone in the draft and say they’re going to come in and play. Especially on a team like ours, you have to come in and earn equity. You have to earn trust before you’re gonna get a jersey and help us on game day.”
Although the Rams’ brass decided to make this bold and unexpected move for a rookie quarterback, which is far from a win-now move in the first round of the NFL Draft, McVay makes it clear that it remains Stafford’s team moving forward.
“Let’s make one thing clear,” McVay said. “This is Matthew’s team, and you get a chance to be able to address the backup quarterback. We’ve got Stetson, we’ve talked about the importance of Jimmy [Garoppolo], so to be able to add somebody that you can evaluate a body of work where he was asked to play the position and a lot of things that do translate in terms of concepts, reading with his feet, some of the different things in the drop back in the play action game, the movement game.”
It’ll be interesting to see the backlash after the Rams’ move and whether the team is more focused on the present or the future.
Matthew Stafford Contract Update With Rams
GettyMatthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams
Before the Rams drafted Simpson after trading up, the team was making significant progress in contract talks with Stafford on a new deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
A deal is not done for Stafford, whose contract runs through 2026, but Sean McVay said earlier this year he believes
Only time will tell how these contract talks pan out now that the Rams have brought in Stafford’s successor.
Rams’ Les Snead Sends Clear Message on Matthew Stafford & Ty Simpson’s Role