The Los Angeles Rams removed the final contract question hanging over their 2026 draft class as training camp opened.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Saturday that rookie quarterback Ty Simpson agreed to a four-year, $25.4 million contract that is fully guaranteed.
The deal includes a fifth-year option and a $14.94 million signing bonus, according to Rapoport.
Simpson had become the final unsigned first-round selection from the 2026 NFL draft, leaving the Rams with a potential camp distraction involving the player they chose to become their eventual answer behind Matthew Stafford.
That concern is gone.
Simpson can turn his full attention toward learning Sean McVay’s offense, competing for the backup job and making up ground in a quarterback room built to contend immediately while preparing for an uncertain future.
Rookie Deal Removes Rams’ Camp Distraction
The Rams used the No. 13 overall pick on Simpson in one of the draft’s larger surprises.
Los Angeles had the reigning NFL MVP returning at quarterback and a roster positioned to make another Super Bowl run, yet general manager Les Snead and McVay chose to secure a succession plan before the need became urgent.
His contract arrived on the Rams’ official report date and ahead of the first practice open to fans Monday at Loyola Marymount University.
Whatever remained between Simpson’s representation and the Rams lasted deep enough into July to draw attention, though it ended before becoming a meaningful football issue.
The agreement allows Simpson to continue a transition that started during the offseason program.
The Rams said the former Alabama quarterback has listened to practice scripts through headphones and repeated the play calls back to himself while away from the facility, a glimpse at how much material he is absorbing.
That work helps prepare a quarterback with only 15 college starts.
Simpson completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions during his final Alabama season. He also tied for the FBS lead with 30 big-time throws, according to the Rams.
Rams Can Focus on Backup Competition, Long-Term Plan
McVay made the immediate hierarchy clear after the draft, saying, “This is still Matthew’s team.”
Stafford enters his 18th NFL season after throwing for a league-leading 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns with eight interceptions in 2025.
The Rams extended his contract during the offseason, although both sides continue to approach his future on a year-to-year basis.
That setup gives Simpson the runway Los Angeles wanted when it drafted him. He can learn behind Stafford without carrying the pressure of rescuing a rebuilding team or winning the starting job in his first camp.
His more immediate competition is with Stetson Bennett.
McVay said after the draft that Simpson would compete with Bennett for the backup role, and Bennett received substantial work during organized team activities as the Rams managed Stafford’s spring workload.
Bennett enters his fourth season with the Rams after spending his entire 2023 rookie campaign on the reserve/non-football injury list while addressing his mental health.
This came after he had been arrested on a public intoxication charge earlier that year, but neither he nor the Rams publicly connected the incident to his absence.
McVay said June 8 that he had seen “tremendous growth” from Bennett, praising his command of the huddle and the confidence he has earned from teammates.
Can Bennett give Simpson a run for this money?
Only time will tell, as Los Angeles invested $25.4 million in a quarterback it hopes will guide the franchise through its next era.
Los Angeles Rams Sign All-SEC Quarterback to $25.4 Million Deal