Rams' Sean McVay clears the air on his demeanor after Ty Simpson pick

The Los Angeles Rams made one of the most polarizing selections of the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Taking quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 13 felt like a bit of a reach, especially given that they could've probably traded down to get him.

Following the first round, head coach Sean McVay went viral for looking livid and being somewhat evasive with questions about Simpson.

He was even quick to say that the Rams were still Matthew Stafford's team and that their first-round pick would only compete for the backup spot. 

Sean McVay doubles down on Matthew Stafford-Ty Simpson take

That's why, after Rounds 2 and 3 were in the history books, a much calmer McVay addressed the media to clear the air on the situation. While he doubled down on his Stafford take, he added that he was in lockstep with the decision to take Simpson:

“But whenever that time comes for him [Simpson] to get an opportunity to be Matthew's successor will be on Matthew's terms,” McVay said, per Arash Markazi. “And I think that's really what the important thing was. And I didn't want that to ever be misunderstood while not minimizing the excitement for Ty [and] the buy-in.”

McVay wanted to dismiss the notion of any sort of disconnect with GM Les Snead.

“And so for any of the questions or misunderstandings just based on my demeanor or disposition last night, I did want to get that out of the way. This is my buddy right here,” the coach said.

At the end of the day, Simpson might not play a single snap for the Rams in 2026 or even 2027. 

That would obviously mean that Stafford is healthy and playing well, so that's not necessarily bad.

Nevertheless, using a top-15 pick on a player who didn't have a lot of takers and who might spend half of his rookie deal on the sidelines was certainly a weird decision for an aging team with an open Super Bowl window.