Alabama QBs send message to Ty Simpson after his first-round selection
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There was plenty of buzz around Ty Simpson being the second-best quarterback prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. Despite this, he didn’t seem to be a lock to go in Thursday night’s first round. The Los Angeles Rams removed any sweat Simpson may have had about that, though, when they took him at No. 13 overall.
Shortly after being selected, Simpson was surprised with a video chat featuring his fellow quarterbacks from Alabama. He couldn’t contain his excitement when he saw Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, who were stoked about his accomplishment and landing spot.
Simpson spoke on his bond with Mack and Russell after their conversation.
“The brotherhood we had… they had such an impact on me being here,” Simpson said. “I love them. They’re part of my family [and] I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me.”
In his lone year as Alabama’s starting quarterback, Simpson completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.
While the opportunity to learn and grow under head coach Sean McVay is enviable, it’s clear that McVay didn’t anticipate Simpson being the Rams’ first-round choice. Los Angeles very nearly reached Super Bowl LX less than 3 months ago and could have added an immediate contributor with the pick. Instead, they’ll proceed with Simpson developing behind Matthew Stafford.
