Matthew Stafford is coming off the best season of his career, winning his first NFL MVP award while leading the Los Angeles Rams to a record. He is also 38 and has been considering retirement in recent years. Enter, Ty Simpson.
Thursday night, many expected the Rams to select a wide receiver like Jordan Tyson or Makai Lemon in the first round with the 13th overall selection. Tyson went to the Saints at No. 8. Lemon was still available. Other projections included the Rams making a secret selection with Oregon tight end Kenyon Saadiq, who set an NFL Scouting Combine record for a tight end with a 4.39-second 40-yard dash. No. All those mock drafts were wrong.
Instead, Rams general manager Les Snead shocked everyone by selecting Alabama's QB, Simpson, who is now officially Stafford's successor in L.A. Obviously, this is a move that head coach and QB guru Sean McVay has signed off on, but it's still a decision that no one expected at the 13-year-old.
Still, last offseason, there was even a notion that the Rams might trade Stafford, a former Super Bowl LVI champion, before finding common ground and renegotiating his contract. Now re-entering the final year of his contract, Simpson's selection makes one wonder if this could be Stafford's final season in Los Angeles and possibly the NFL.
According to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, the Rams informed Stafford they will select Simpson with the 13th overall pick today. However, he informed her that the selection would be held "whenever Stafford decides to move forward."
Meanwhile, it's a tough development for former Georgia QB Stetson Bennett, who the Rams made with the 128th overall selection in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Certainly, he's ready for QB3 duties behind Stafford and Simpson. Also, all this smoke about the Rams hoping Jimmy Garoppolo will have a change of heart and re-sign? Beautifully played by Los Angeles.
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