Ty Simpson seems to be flirting hard with team that may not draft him

Multiple reports from this winter have indicated that the Cleveland Browns won't have much interest in selecting Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson with either overall pick No. 6 or No. 24 of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Such chatter didn't stop Simpson from speaking highly of recently hired Browns head coach Todd Monken during a Thursday appearance on the FanDuel TV "Up & Adams" program. 

Ty Simpson, Todd Monken have "a great relationship"

"He’s the man," Simpson said about Monken, per Chris Franklin of NJ Advance Media. "First off, he recruited me at Georgia (while serving as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach), so I had a great relationship with him. Then, him coaching at Southern Miss, he and my dad got to know each other pretty well, so I’ve known him for a long time. I got to meet with them at the combine, and I got to meet with them on (a visit with the Browns)." 

That's all well and good, but Browns insider Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand has repeatedly made it known that Browns general manager Andrew Berry and not Monken will be spending Cleveland's draft picks in April. 

Meanwhile, the Browns seem serious about having veteran Deshaun Watson and 2025 rookie Shedeur Sanders compete for the starting job this coming summer. Assuming that's the case, spending a valuable draft choice on a signal-caller who allegedly possesses "questionable first-round talent" at best wouldn't make much sense for Cleveland. 

Why Ty Simpson would like to play for Todd Monken

"He wants to take the league by storm with his offense," Simpson added about Monken. "He’s very genuine and cares about his players and his coaches. The proof is in the pudding when it comes to the offense. You saw what he did at Georgia and what he did with (Baltimore Ravens quarterback) Lamar Jackson. I think it’s a quarterback-friendly system led by a guy who is willing to change and adapt." 

Jackson earned his second regular-season Most Valuable Player Award in his first campaign of having Monken as his offensive coordinator with the Ravens. While the situation could change by the time April 23 arrives, it seems as of the middle of March that Simpson won't have Monken as a head coach later this year.