With the Los Angeles Rams taking Ty Simpson as Matthew Stafford's successor, should the team get Ty Simpson involved in the game plan for 2026?
There might be no bigger story in the NFL than the Los Angeles Rams taking Ty Simpson with the No. 13 overall pick. The Alabama prospect is viewed as Matthew Stafford's successor, but how long would it take for him to play?
Stafford and the Rams are currently working on a deal that will reportedly allow him to play past 2026, and there is a strong belief that this is the case. That said, would it be out of the realm of possibility that Simpson could take some snaps in 2026, and should head coach Sean McVay consider that?
Let's look at this from a game plan perspective. Los Angeles was arguably two plays and another playmaker away from making a Super Bowl appearance and winning the whole thing.
The majority of the roster has stayed intact since then, but the Rams did not do much else to the pass-catching room to upgrade the team's chances of adding another element to the offense. Now, what if the plan wasn't so much to bring in a pass catcher as much as it was to land Simpson and throw some different looks at defenses?
There have been plenty of instances where teams have brought in rookie quarterbacks or other quarterbacks with different traits to play some snaps in the endzone. Simpson is obviously not better than Stafford, so there wouldn't ever be a case where the rookie would come in to replace him in crucial first and third-down situations, but what if McVay and the offense were thinking they could throw teams off?
I know how insane this may sound, but Simpson, if nothing else, can protect the ball. He had a respectable 2025 season, throwing 28 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Simpson's 1.1 percent of throwing an interception during a pass if the fourth-lowest in power schools with more than 450 attempts. He is now in the conversation alongside Denver Broncos' Bo Nix (0.6 percent), Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott (one percent), and Chicago Bears' Caleb Williams (one percent).
If there is one tangible that the Rams can bank on, it's that Simpson can protect the ball and does not make mental mistakes.
That being said, what if the Rams were to involve him in the passing game in some odd way? This is not to promote the idea that Simpson would be fast-tracked into replacing Stafford, because nobody can.
To be honest, I believe that Stafford is set to play well past the 2027 season. He may have been knocking on the door of retirement over the past few years, but because of injuries, he could be an Aaron Rodgers-type passer, playing until he is 40 years old or more.
But to play Devil's Advocate on Stafford's injuries and his age. Simpson could come in as relief for some plays to throw off defenses, while giving the Rams franchise quarterback some time to breathe.
This could also extend his career by a good margin, so he is not having to suffer through every pass of every game.
There are worse ideas, but having the idea that Simpson will be the Rams future answer and not get any valuable reps for two to three seasons or more seems a bit wasteful.
As McVay said, this is Stafford's team for as long as he wants it, and I fully believe that to be the case. But that doesn't mean that McVay and offensive coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase should ignore the ability to get squirrely with their new passer in certain playmaking situations.