Part of the discourse around the Ty Simpson pick was that the Los Angeles Rams needed, at the very least, another backup quarterback in the room.

While that may have played into the decision slightly, The Athletic's Nate Atkins suggests that the Rams' motivation for drafting Simpson with the No. 13 pick was to have a young potential franchise quarterback in the room for 2026. More importantly, it also meant that they would have taken Simpson even if they re-signed Jimmy Garoppolo.

The Rams were prepared enough to draft and stash Simpson that they planned to do so even if Jimmy Garoppolo re-signed as their backup, a team source said. They were building out a quarterback room for a rookie to learn in.

This suggests that a Garoppolo reunion isn't out of the question despite reports that he is considering retirement. Currently, Simpson and Stetson Bennett are the only backups for Matthew Stafford. Neither have played in an NFL regular-season game, with Bennett only seeing action in the preseason.

Head coach Sean McVay has always talked up Garoppolo as a comfortable starter for the Rams if Stafford were to miss time, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that L.A. would still want to add a veteran to the quarterback room as a true backup to Stafford. What would that mean for Simpson and Bennett? Unclear. Bennett is expendable given his age, so he would than likely be moved one way or another (release, practice squad, and/or trade).

The Rams clearly have a plan for Simpson, and not necessarily that he'd be the direct backup for Stafford. Time will tell how that unfolds.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams would've drafted Ty Simpson even if Jimmy Garoppolo returned