The Los Angeles Rams making the decision to select former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at 13th overall in the first round may be the hottest topic in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Everyone seems to have their own opinion on what the Rams did in confidence, including former Georgia quarterback and current analyst Aaron Murray. But Murray does not share the same sentiment that most do, which is that Simpson was a plainly terrible selection.
Murray is more so of the opinion that the Rams should not have prioritized a quarterback that early in the draft. Sure, Stafford is getting older and it is wise to look ahead for the long-term, but he has proven he has still got some years left in him.
Former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray believes the Rams made a 'huge mistake' by drafting former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at 13th overall
"The LA Rams made a huge mistake last night drafting Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick. Matthew Stafford is your guy," Murray said. "He won you a Super Bowl. He was MVP a year ago. His best statistical season. And I get that he's getting a little bit gray in the beard, getting a little bit older."
That's where the idea that Stafford will be entering his twilight years as a quarterback comes into play.
"And that's why you draft a Ty Simpson, because, guess what?," Murray continued. "Ty can sit for a few years, and for him, it is the perfect situation. Ty Simpson gets to learn from (Sean) McVay and (Matthew Stafford) and maybe one day develop into a good quarterback."
Stafford's final years are not far off, but that doesn't make quarterback an immediately pressing need, either. If Stafford is still playing at a high level and Los Angeles still has a chance to be a serious contender with him, the Rams need to go all in on supporting their quarterback.
Not immediately search for who may or may not be his heir in a quarterback who is still extremely inexperienced and lacks complete development like Simpson does.
That is where Murray finds the ultimate issue -- which is an understandable one.
But for what (Matthew) Stafford has done for that franchise... to not give him what he needs to compete for a championship this upcoming season and the next one to two to three years after that, I think was a completely wrong move by the franchise.
What the future looks like for Ty Simpson
Simpson isn't going to take over Stafford's position until the veteran leaves on his own terms, and no one will, for that matter. Instead, he'll head into direct competition for the backup spot against another former Georgia quarterback in Stetson Bennett.
That brings up another question, is what the Rams did by drafting Simpson disrespectful in two different ways to both Stafford and Bennett? That argument could certainly be made, and Bennett may honestly deserve to be done the favor of being released to find greener pastures after this move.
Anyhow, we'll find out whether or not this is weirdly one of the better moves the Rams have made or an absolute folly over time.
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