Ty Simpson claims he didn't see viral Sean McVay reaction during NFL Draft

Everyone remembers Sean McVay’s less than enthused reaction when the LA Rams selected QB Ty Simpson in the first round of the NFL Draft. Well, everyone except Simpson!

The former Alabama quarterback claimed he did not see the viral reaction caught on camera. McVay appeared indifferent, at best, when the Rams drafted Matthew Stafford’s eventual, protected, successor under center. McVay said he was grumpy about myriad things during the draft but claimed he is stoic by nature and was more so thinking of Stafford, not Simpson.

He’s thrilled to have Simpson as his next quarterback at some point. And it seems like the feeling is mutual for the former Crimson Tide signal caller.

“I didn’t really see it,” Simpson said, via Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. “I know one thing though. I know Coach McVay has been in contact and he’s super fired up. And I’m super excited. . . . I know that I couldn’t have asked for a better situation, not only with the best player in the league in front of me but the best coach in the league at the helm.”

Ty Simpson ready to work alongside Sean McVay

One of the criticisms around Simpson during the pre-draft process was his lack of starting experience at Alabama. He only started 15 games with the Crimson Tide and while he started strong, it was an up-and-down finish to the year. He completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns, to five interceptions, in 2025.

Before the first round, the Rams informed Stafford of their plans to take Simpson if he was still on the board, FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer reported. McVay said the veteran quarterback handled the news well and the organization is ready for whatever he decides to do, whether it’s retirement or another year in 2027.

“But because we are year-to-year, he doesn’t owe us anything,” McVay said of the Stafford-Simpson dynamic. “And if he decides after next year he wants to ride off into the sunset or wants to continue to play, those are things that we would welcome with open arms. 

“But we do need to be able to have some planning in place not only to be able to help him be the best version of himself right now in terms of how we’re managing his workload, but also earning the right to be able to say, ‘Hey, if after 18 years.’ But if he tells me he wants to keep playing, hey, I’m all for that.”