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2026 NFL Draft: Ty Simpson reveals 'secret meetings' with Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh04/28/26griffin_mcveigh

Ty Simpson turned into the surprise selection of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Alabama product went No. 13 overall to the Los Angeles Rams, much higher than many out there thought was possible entering Thursday night. Simpson heads to Los Angeles as the heir apparent to Matthew Stafford, whenever retirement might be. Head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead were behind the operation, trying to keep things hush.

Enough to the point where McVay and Simpson had some “secret meetings” during the draft process. Simpson revealed as such on Monday night. Apparently, the Rams made a big deal about keeping their interest in Simpson quiet.

“We tried to keep this under wraps as long as we could,” Simpson said via ESPN Radio. “It was something to where I knew they were interested but they wanted to make it private, and didn’t want people to know that they were interested. I had some secret meetings with Coach McVay and I was trying to be on script and do what everybody told me to not tell anybody. It was something where I knew they were interested, I just didn’t know when.”

A follow-up question then came about what took place during the “secret meetings.” Simpson’s answer will not surprise anybody — football, and nothing but football. He says McVay just talked about the game for a long time.

“We met at the facility,” Simpson said. “We just talked for hours and hours. It was just football, straight football. It was like a kid in a candy store. Me and him are standing there, we’re just going back and forth. You can tell the obsession that he has for the game and you can tell the love he has for quarterback play. It’s something that I appreciate.”

Simpson certainly does need some time watching Stafford and learning from McVay before stepping into the role of a starter. Despite spending four seasons in college, only one of them was as a starter. Kalen DeBoer tabbed Simpson for 2026, with the move paying off. Alabama went to the SEC Championship game and the College Football Playoff. Simpson also turned into a major leader for the program during the journey.

While some might have had questions about where Simpson landed, he knew at least one team would be interested. The Rams wound up pulling the trigger at No. 13 overall, finding their quarterback of the future.