Nick Saban gives advice to team that takes Ty Simpson in 2026 NFL Draft

Ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, one unnamed AFC coordinator made it known that he felt Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson needed to go to "a good team with an aging quarterback where he’s a system fit" and "where he can be a backup." 

During a Wednesday appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," former Alabama head coach and living legend Nick Saban offered some advice for teams that may have Simpson on their draft boards heading into Thursday night. 

Nick Saban: Ty Simpson should not play right away

"He needs to go someplace where he has a chance to develop, and not play right away. That’s just my opinion," Saban said about Simpson, per Eva Geitheim of Sports Illustrated. 

A conversation with Saban helped Simpson decide to enter the draft after the signal-caller received a $6.5M offer to transfer to Miami to serve as that program's starter for the 2026 college season. Whether or not Simpson will be taken in the draft's first round remained a mystery as of Thursday morning, as ESPN's Josh Weinfuss was among those who continued to suggest at that time that Simpson could remain on the board through Friday evening. 

Recent stories linked Simpson with the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams. All three teams (Geno Smith, Jacoby Brissett/Gardner Minshew, Matthew Stafford) have veterans who presumably could start this fall while Simpson develops as a backup. 

Nick Saban convinced Ty Simpson can succeed in the NFL if he lands with the right team

"Ty Simpson is a guy that didn’t play as much in college as a lot of these quarterbacks as they develop," Saban added about the quarterback who tallied just 15 college starts. "I think maturity would be the word that I would say is important in the development of his game. I think he can throw it well enough, I think he’s athletic enough. Decision-making, processing, drifting in the pocket, things that you can improve upon with experience. Maturity is nothing more than making the right decision at the right time, and that comes with experience and repetition. He doesn’t have enough of that, but he will get and I think be a very good player."

Simpson could prove to be the top steal of the 2026 draft if a team handles his development correctly. Such conversations can be punted down the road for after a team drafts him at some point before the player-selection process wraps up.