How secret meetings helped Rams land Ty Simpson during NFL Draft

The Los Angeles Rams making Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson the 13th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft continued to generate discussions on sports-talk programs days after the selection was finalized. 

There's now more information about how Simpson knew he could end up a Rams player this spring. 

Ty Simpson, Sean McVay had "secret meetings" before NFL Draft

Per Sarah Barshop of ESPN, Simpson revealed during a Monday appearance on ESPN Radio's "Amber & Ian" program that he and Rams head coach Sean McVay had more than just a brief chat before the draft got underway. 

"We tried to keep this under wraps as long as we could," Simpson explained. "It was something to where I knew they were interested, but they wanted to make it private and didn't want people to know that they were interested. So, I had some secret meetings with Coach McVay, and I just was trying to be on script and do what everybody told me and not to tell anybody."

The plan worked, as previous stories had linked Simpson with both the New York Jets and the Arizona Cardinals. Neither team leapfrogged the Rams in the draft order on the night of April 23 before Los Angeles was able to get a signal-caller who could one day become a long-term replacement for reigning Most Valuable Player Matthew Stafford.

What Ty Simpson, Sean McVay talked about during one meeting

According to Simpson, he and McVay "talked for hours and hours" during one meeting that took place before the draft. 

"And it was just football," Simpson said. "It was just straight football. And it was like a kid in a candy store. Me and him are sitting there, and we're just going back and forth. You can tell the obsession he has for the game, and you can tell the love he has for quarterback play. It's something that I appreciate, and it's something that I enjoy because I really enjoy playing the position and value the position. So, being with him and then getting to know him and then just seeing a little bit of how I would get coached if I was fortunate enough to go there was something that I couldn't have asked for a better situation."

The Rams reportedly love the toughness Simpson showed as he battled through adversity en route to becoming a first-round talent. He now may find himself relegated to backup duties across the first couple of seasons of his pro career, as Stafford could soon sign a contract extension coming off his award-winning campaign.