New report reveals what Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford truly think of Rams drafting Ty Simpson

During a Friday radio appearance, Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead insisted that he and head coach Sean McVay were "in lockstep" regarding the decision to make Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson the 13th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Previously, some questioned if that was truly the case after McVay seemed unhappy and even downright annoyed while speaking with reporters that the Rams had added Simpson to a quarterback room occupied by reigning Most Valuable Player Award winner Matthew Stafford. For a piece published on Friday afternoon, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler shared more information regarding McVay's demeanor.

Was Sean McVay pretending to not love the Ty Simpson draft pick?

"Multiple team sources said they believe McVay might have felt the need to downplay the pick in order to accentuate his confidence in Stafford," Fowler wrote. 

Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports speculated that was the case, as Stafford is only under contract through the 2026 season but could soon sign an extension that presumably would include a nice pay raise for the 38-year-old. 

"A source with direct knowledge of the situation put it more bluntly," Fowler continued. "McVay 'absolutely' was on board with the pick, noting that Snead and McVay attack all decisions together."

Meanwhile, a separate team source told Fowler that "all indications to me were [Snead and McVay] were in lockstep" before the Simpson pick was announced. 

How did Matthew Stafford react to the Rams drafting Ty Simpson?

A report from Friday morning indicated that Snead basically started courting Simpson back in December. Stafford seemingly toyed with the idea of retiring before he publicly confirmed in February that he would spend at least one more season serving as the Rams' QB1, so some understandably have wondered if the one-time Super Bowl champion is upset that the 13th overall pick was spent on his eventual replacement instead of on a 2026 Week 1 starter.

"What helps assuage the transition in the short term: Stafford's evaluation of the Rams offense," Fowler explained. "Stafford is, by all accounts, happy with his skill players on offense, per a team source, which can alleviate the pressure of taking a big swing on a quarterback who won't help the team now."

In short, it sounds like Stafford didn't flip any tables over when he got the call on draft day to be informed that the Rams were selecting Simpson. 

Understandably, speculation about Stafford's future will hover over the Rams until he inks an extension. That said, Friday's developments make it clear that people within the organization want outsiders to know that Simpson is being welcomed to the Rams and their quarterback room with open arms.