NEED TO KNOWThe Rams selected Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson 13th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 23
Sean McVay's muted reaction to the pick sparked online speculation about his enthusiasm for Simpson
Simpson will compete with Stetson Bennett for the backup quarterback role behind Stafford
The Los Angeles Rams stunned the masses Thursday, April 23 with the surprise selection of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. But it was the post-pick reaction from head coach Sean McVay that really stirred buzz online.
Shortly after the Rams selected the 23-year-old Simpson with the 13th overall pick in this year's draft, McVay and Rams general manager Les Snead fielded questions from reporters about what factored into their decision to take a quarterback, as current starter Matthew Stafford is coming off an MVP campaign. As Snead, 55, answered questions, several on social media turned their attention to McVay, 40, taking note of the coach's body language and lack of enthusiasm over the pick.
"I’ve covered a lot of first-round pick pressers across four beats. This was by far the most muted I have seen a regime about the player they drafted," Nate Atkins of The Athletic posted Thursday on X.
"I just watched the entire Rams presser, and I can't say Sean McVay was showing a ton of excitement about the Ty Simpson selection. Said he will compete with Stetson Bennett for the QB2 job. Not a bunch of smiles," Hayden Winks of Underdog wrote in an X post. "Les Snead way way more fired up."
One X user remarked of the interaction, "You could tell that McVay looked dead inside after Snead drafted Ty Simpson."
The Rams finished the 2025 regular season at 12-5 and reached the NFC Championship Game. The team fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Jan. 25.
Stafford, 38, tossed for 4,707 yards and a career-high 46 touchdowns in the regular season en route to his first-ever league MVP title. He is entering his 18th season in the league.
McVay, who said he spoke to Stafford prior to the Simpson pick on Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Times, made it clear it's the veteran's team as he and Snead spoke about the Rams' newest addition.
"To be able to add somebody that you can evaluate a body of work where he was asked to play the position and a lot of things that do translate in terms of concepts, reading with his feet, some of the different things in the drop back in the play-action game and the movement game. There are a lot of things that [Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan] Grubb did that’s very similar to how we operate so it made it an easier evaluation to be able to say, ‘Alright, what would that look like if he did translate it to our level?' " McVay said, per Pro Football Talk.
"... We will be excited to be able to get to work with [Simpson]. That’s where we’re at," the coach also said.
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Simpson, who started just one season for the Crimson Tide in 2025, said Thursday he is "super pumped" to get to work.
"The fact that coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams took a chance on me, who's a quarterback genius," he told reporters after Thursday's pick.
Simpson will compete with quarterback Stetson Bennett, the Rams' fourth-round pick in 2023, for the backup role, according to ESPN.