Matthew Stafford discusses going through OTAs with Ty Simpson: ‘He’s been a sponge’
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
The Los Angeles Rams pulled off a draft day shocker in April, taking Ty Simpson out of Alabama with the 13th overall pick.
The Rams see Simpson as their quarterback of the future. That said, after Matthew Stafford signed a one-year contract extension keeping him in the fold through 2027, the future won’t likely be until 2028.
During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” the former Georgia legend talked about mentoring Simpson during OTAs over the past few days and watching him during his college years.
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“I’m in there with him in the meeting room on the practice field trying to share as much knowledge as I can,” Stafford said. “Listen, I was a big fan of Ty when he was playing at Alabama. I sent him a text after he got drafted and said, ‘Really enjoyed watching you play. Just, you were in the wrong jersey, and you weren’t a Dawg.'”
Stafford’s obviously all in on winning. The 2025 NFL MVP is heading into his 18th season in the league. That doesn’t mean he’s not looking to pour into Simpson as much as he can.
“I wouldn’t be in the seat that I am right now, talking to you guys after a really good football season, if I didn’t have people that were helping me out along the way, too. So I’m happy to do that,” Stafford said. “But he’s been a sponge, man. He’s looking to get better. And really, that’s everybody on our team — all the young guys that we pick.”
The Rams open against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne on Sept. 10.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
