Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson had initially made his intentions clear about returning to Tuscaloosa for the 2026 season. The idea was to extend those reps and bolster his stock for the 2027 NFL draft. In a complete U-turn move, Simpson has moved away from his initial decision last week. Some of the reasoning behind this sudden decision is being linked to a rumored interest from a $504 million QB’s team.

According to a report by On3’s Charlie Potter, Simpson is “officially” signing paperwork to enter the 2026 NFL draft. The Bama QB1 had declared last week to enter the NFL draft even after drawing high-profile NIL offers from several Power-4 teams. But, potential interest from NFL teams, especially the Los Angeles Rams, has apparently led to the final decision.

CBS Sports’ NFL draft analyst Mike Renner predicted Simpson to be taken as the 29th overall pick by the Rams. “He’s an intriguing developmental option worth a flier for a team whose quarterback need is still a few years away,” wrote Renner. The analyst was hinting at the Rams’ interest compared to Simpson’s late-season shaky performance and touted him to replace Mathew Stafford in the near future.

Stafford, who has amassed $504 million throughout his NFL career, has just a few years left in the tank. He is 37 already and has been leading the Rams through a prolific playoff run in 2025. The QB has passed for 4,707 yards already and looks to seal his place in the NFL Hall of Fame after winning this year’s MVP by PFF. Moreover, a Super Bowl run can also be on the cards. The Rams have defeated the Panthers in the Wild Card Round and play the Bears in the Divisional round.

Enter Ty Simpson, and he seems like an apt replacement for Stafford in two or three years. The QB has passed for 3,567 yards and started the year looking dominant, except for that stumble against FSU in the very beginning. But apart from that, for much of the initial games, the throws were inch-perfect, the pocket presence was top-notch, and the defensive readings were on Simpson’s fingertips.

His peak was felt during that stretch when the Tide took care of the Bulldogs in Athens, then proceeded to avenge their previous year’s loss against Vandy, took care of business against Missouri, and dominated the visiting Volunteers. But nothing could compare to the fourth quarter comeback win against South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium. Simpson threw for over 250 yards and had two touchdowns. But it was his leadership as the Tide clawed back from an 8 point deficit to score 15 points in the fourth quarter alone to win the game 29-22.

But late in the season, Alabama faltered, and so did Simpson. His efficiency dropped and now stands at just 64.5%. Most analysts would point at the Oklahoma regular season game as the starting point of the downward trend. But even in the loss, Simpson threw for over 300 yards in a valiant attempt that ultimately turned fruitless. The Tide’s poor showing  in the Iron Bowl, proceeded by the utter domination by Georgia in the SEC title game had almost everyone writing Simpson off as someone who needed time to grow.

Despite that, Simpson landed multiple NIL offers to transfer, and teams pursued him to come back for the 2025 season. One of ON3’s reports highlighted a $6.5 million offer from a Power Four team. But the QB is choosing to do what Jalen Milroe did a year back. The Rams give him a chance to develop behind and correct those 2025 mistakes, something his former teammate Milroe also intended. But did that ever come to pass?

Jalen Milroe’s NFL trajectory being followed by Ty Simpson?

Jalen Milroe was never graded to be a first-round pick. Many draft analysts didn’t even grade him in the first three rounds. Sure, the QB had passed for 6,016 yards and rushed for 1,577 in his time at Alabama. But the flaws were there. Entering the 2025 offseason, Milroe had a chance to come back to Alabama or join other teams that were offering him top NIL deals.

Milroe turned off the background noise and went ahead with his decision to enter the draft. “Football has always been my passion, and since I was a kid, I dreamed of competing at the highest level,” the former Bama QB1 said. “Each day, my gratitude for the opportunity to play this sport I love only grows stronger.”

One team stood out before the 2025 Draft. The Steelers were pursuing the QB heavily during the period, and head coach Mike Tomlin personally watched him throw and run the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds. The plan was to find a suitable successor for the veteran QB Aaron Rodgers. And Milroe was a perfect dual-threat QB for the job. Moreover he could get some valuable insights with some time behind Rodgers. Just look at Jordan Love’s growth at Green Bay.

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“Now I have the opportunity to be around Coach Tomlin, and I don’t take it lightly at all,” Milroe said after meeting Mike Tomlin. “If the opportunity presents itself for me to be his quarterback, I’ll take full advantage of it.” Everything was supposed to have been set and done, and Milroe was going to become a Steeler. The Steelers signed Rodgers as expected in June 2025 on a $13.65 million contract. But the Bama QB never ended up coming to Pittsburgh.

Jalen Milroe was drafted by the Seahawks in the third round and is now learning behind Sam Darnold. Not the same quality of mentor as Rodgers and not the same coach as Tomlin. Though considering Tomlin just stepped down, it almost worked out for Milroe.

In hindsight, while the move may not have happened, what Ty Simpson is trying to do mimics his predecessor. Joining teams, learning behind a veteran, and becoming a starter in just one or two years. The question is, will Simpson land with the Rams as expected? Or will he suffer the same fate as Milroe’s? The draft decides where a college player will land, and there are 32 teams vying to become the best. The odds will never be in the players’ favor.