The LA Rams HC, Sean McVay, seemed visibly upset after the team selected Ty Simpson as their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft. However, the situation changed when the rookie quarterback disclosed that he had held “secret meetings” ahead of the draft, leading to questions about McVay’s true intentions behind selecting Simpson. According to Rams GM Les Snead, there was a reason behind hiding Simpson’s and McVay’s meeting.

“At the end of the day, here’s where it went awry. We do like to emphasize, Pat, hey, look, try to keep these private meetings between us, right, for that gamesmanship. Just, you know, we’d like for other teams not to know we’re interested,” said Snead on The Pat McAfee Show. “So, we emphasize, keep it quiet. Felt really bad for Ty. He stayed on script. Poor guy stayed on script.”

The Los Angeles Rams picked Ty Simpson as the 13th overall and their first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Initially, picking a rookie quarterback didn’t seem like the Rams’ plan. However, Simpson appeared surprised and told the media he had never met Sean McVay or spoken to GM Les Snead.

Days later, the 23-year-old confessed he had actually held “secret meetings” with Sean McVay. They also included the Rams brass and went for several hours. However, as per Les Snead, Simpson was asked to lie about their pre-draft communication to keep their interest hidden from other teams.

“I think y’all all know Sean. There’s no way he would pick a QB without meeting him,” Snead added. “I think that’s probably common sense, and I understand kind of why it got convoluted. Hey, Ty stayed on script. We were really trying to keep it from other teams… He visited us the next day—and we were able to say, ‘Yes, you can let everyone know that you visited with [us].’ And so, here we are.”

Leading up to the draft, the likes of the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers, among others, were linked to picking Ty Simpson. However, the Rams surprised many by drafting the 23-year-old as their star quarterback, Matthew Stafford’s backup. Stafford appeared quite pleased to keep Simpson under his wing.

“He couldn’t be more of a stud,” said McVay about how Stafford reacted. “When you’re an elite competitor, the way he is, he responded exactly the way I would want to. He’s going to put his arm around this guy. He couldn’t have been more of a stud about it. But the thought process, when you explain it to him, he’s like, ‘I understand it.’

Amid this addition and the “secret meetings” revelation, many have raised concerns about Matthew Stafford’s potential retirement. NFL analyst Mike Florio, in particular, believes Stafford might be displeased with Simpson’s selection. He noted how the Rams’ decision to overlook strengthening the offensive line and instead select a wide receiver may raise eyebrows, as the 2021 Super Bowl champion would want to continue for a few more years.

However, it seems the LA Rams’ brass looks happy to pick a promising talent like Simpson.

Rams GM gets honest about drafting Ty Simpson

Ty Simpson spent four years of his collegiate career playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide. With 31 games played in four seasons, Simpson’s standout performances were last year. It was the year when the 23-year-old QB was promoted to a starter. In 15 games played, Simpson recorded 3,567 passing yards with 28 touchdowns.

Simpson was a finalist for the Manning Award in 2025 due to his impressive performances. He appeared to be an outstanding prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft, and the Los Angeles Rams had their plans in place for his selection. Upon drafting Simpson, general manager Les Snead appeared quite happy with the result.

“I know Sean sat down with Matthew, and Sean was the one who was communicating what our plans were if Ty were to fall to 13. By the time we chatted with Matthew, there was a, if you want to call it, good guesstimate that Ty would have a chance to fall to 13. I think at the end of the day, Matthew was a very, very smart player. He comprehends what the plan is. He understands it… We were able to articulate this along the way.”

Snead also noted how Matthew Stafford was brought into the conversations while planning to draft Ty Simpson. The Rams’ 2025 season finished with a 12–5 regular season record, securing 2nd place in the NFC West. helped them reach the NFC Championship Game, where they lost 31–27 to the Seattle Seahawks.

Heading into the 2026 season, the Rams now have Simpson as their backup, along with Stetson Bennett in their QB room, while Stafford leads the team.