Ever heard of a QB ditching a $6.5 million-per-year NIL offer for a second- or third-round NFL draft pick? Ty Simpson’s ribcage injury against Indiana, along with his meager 15 starts as QB1, is becoming an issue for his draft stock. Though he can’t do anything about the perception of his limited starts. But the Bama QB1 is amending the latter by sending a message to all NFL teams, regarding his injury concerns.

Simpson says he’s fully healthy and isn’t shy about sending that message directly to NFL teams. “I feel the best I’ve ever felt in a long time,” Simpson said. “That gives me confidence I’m ready to rock and roll. I know I’m ready to be a franchise quarterback. Excited for the opportunity. I know teams need quarterbacks, and I feel like I fit those needs. I’m super excited for the opportunity to show what I can do.”

Ty Simpson went down against Indiana before the start of the third quarter and decided to trust his deputy, Austin Mack, for the job. Mack passed for 103 yards, and Alabama lost the Rose Bowl game 38-3, while Simpson was sidelined for good. Ever since then, the Bama QB1 has been recovering and called the time “a long three weeks” to AL.com. But now he is finally ready to start his draft preparation.

“First time I’ve actually not been able to do anything in a long time. Super excited, super blessed. Surreal, I’m getting to do this for the draft prep,” Simpson added. The Martin, Tennessee native has a lot to wade through before the NFL draft, which includes the NFL scouting combine, Alabama Pro Day, and in-house visits to several franchises upon request. That would involve being fit.

The NFL scouting combine is less than a month away in Indianapolis, and Simpson’s recovery is an added boost. During this time, he can improve some of his tangibles and work on honing the skills he is already good at. So, pre-snap recognition, decoding coverages, throwing release quickness, and ball placement. Never mind his mental processing speed and his ability to move through progressions effectively.

As for the QB1’s injury history, apart from his cracked rib against Indiana, he hasn’t suffered major issues. That problem with elbow bursitis was there in the 2025 season, along with a persistent lower back injury. However, that didn’t impede his ability, and Simpson effortlessly passed for 3,567 yards, throwing just five interceptions. Nevertheless, an assurance regarding his health issues was much needed.

Ty Simpson’s NFL draft fate has several roadblocks

Prominent NFL Draft guru, Mel Kiper Jr., has put Ty Simpson to be 2nd QB in his mock NFL draft, behind only Fernando Mendoza. For Kiper, Simpson checks all elite traits from accuracy, pocket awareness, ability to distribute the ball in all areas, and seeing plays before they happen. Due to that, he touted the Jets to take him at the 16th overall pick. However, Kiper was still cautious and highlighted some flaws, which may see Simpson’s draft stock fall.

“Let’s be clear, though: I do have some concerns about Simpson,” Kiper wrote. “He has 15 career starts, which means this pick would come with a lot of risk. That’s just not enough game experience. We also can’t ignore his dip in performance in the second half of the 2025 season.” Simpson’s performances undoubtedly dipped in the latter half of the 2025 season.

Top Stories

Travis Kelce Confirms Sporting Decision Away From Chiefs After TE’s Major Career News

Josh Allen Officially at Risk of Losing 21 Players as Bills Coach Quits Hours After Joe Brady Announcement

Sources: Mike Evans Could be Done With Buccaneers, Cowboys to Franchise Tag George Pickens, Alec Pierce Expected to Test Free Agency

Aryna Sabalenka Clashes With Chair Umpire Over Grunt Call Drama at Australian Open

Bryson DeChambeau Visits PGA of America as LIV Golf’s Future Looks Bleak

Pro Football Hall of Fame Threatens Strong Action After Bill Polian Controversy as Bill Belichick Snubbed

Initially, the Bama QB1 was putting in elite performances, notching more than 70% completion rate in the majority of games and even putting in a 100% accurate showing against ULM. Yet, later, when major teams came like Tennessee, South Carolina, Oklahoma, LSU, and Auburn, Simpson’s accuracy tanked.

He completed just 65.5% of the passes against Tennessee, put up a 55.8% accurate showing against Gamecocks, and his accuracy further dipped to 60 percent against LSU. Not to mention, there are other concerns, too. His frame is 6’2″ and 208 lbs, and his performance at the Combine won’t necessarily have any major effect. Another issue is his deep ball touch, which suffers from inconsistency, as he has underthrown receivers several times. Subsequently, ball security has been a problem, and he fumbled in five consecutive games in 2025, raising concerns.

All things considered, whether Simpson is doing the right thing by ditching one more year of college ball for the NFL or not has many variables. Only a first-round pick can justify that decision. Barring that, Simpson’s career will always be remembered with a big “what if” had he accepted that $6.5 million offer and come back in 2026.