Rams draft Ty Simpson with Stafford’s long future in mind

Rams draft – A first-round pick on Ty Simpson shocked many, but Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay framed the move as a long-view investment—supported by a one-year, $55-million extension that can keep Stafford with the team through 2027. With Stafford already under a year-to

The night the Rams drafted Ty Simpson with the 13th pick, coach Sean McVay looked uncharacteristically somber under the lights. The awkwardness lingered into the next day’s questions. and McVay spent that time explaining his expression—trying to show respect for Matthew Stafford’s status as the team leader. while also acknowledging that a personal situation affected him.

On draft night, McVay said he had spoken with Stafford beforehand. When a reporter asked what he told Stafford, McVay answered, “I’ll keep that between us.”

Stafford’s first public comments about the move came last week, and he didn’t hide the tension—he understood why the decision was made, even if it wasn’t the kind of move most fans want to see when a franchise quarterback is still playing at a high level.

“I understand where the team’s coming from,” Stafford, 38, told reporters last week. “Listen, I’m not 25 years old and I get that, so we’re doing everything we can to be as good a football team as we can for now, for the future, for all of it.”

That context matters because the Rams used a first-round pick on what many viewed as an heir apparent. Stafford and the team, though, framed it less like a rejection of the present and more like an insurance policy against time.

It’s also not the same kind of reset some fans might assume—McVay and Stafford are not treating it like a dramatic roster shake-up built for someone else’s prime. The Rams bypassed an opportunity to add immediate help such as former USC receiver Makai Lemon. who might have provided impact right away while they push to reach and win Super Bowl LXI in February at SoFi Stadium.

Still, the Rams’ logic is rooted in what they proved they were willing to do before: five years ago, they went all in and won a Super Bowl, even with the costs—real and perceived—looming afterward.

Now, after losing last season’s NFC championship game, the Rams have moved quickly to secure continuity. They signed McVay and general manager Les Snead to long-term extensions. Both were entering the final years of their contracts.

They also addressed defensive needs, trading for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and signing cornerback Jaylen Watson, both of whom played on two Super Bowl championship teams with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Then came a financial anchor. On May 21, the Rams signed Stafford to a one-year, $55-million extension that could keep him with the team through 2027.

Stafford, the reigning NFL most valuable player, did not suggest he felt thrilled about spending a first-round pick on Simpson. But he did describe his understanding of the timing—and what his job looks like now that his future is being planned alongside the team’s.

McVay said he was happy that the future hall of famer would keep leading the offense.

“It’s great to be able to have that taken care of,” McVay said in his first news conference with local reporters since April 24, the day after the Rams drafted Simpson.

McVay also spoke with care about quantifying what Simpson has brought to the team already. The offseason workout program, he said, is about “setting foundations.” The real test comes once players are working in full-speed settings during training camp.

Simpson is on track for a lot of reps when camp begins in late July at Loyola Marymount.

That planning is personal for Stafford too. Last year, he was sidelined all of training camp because of a back issue. He returned before the opener and won his first MVP award. With that memory, the Rams are expected to modify Stafford’s traditional training camp workload—while aiming for similar results.

Offseason workouts are going well for Stafford. He said, “Throwing it like I know how to throw it and for somebody my age,” and added, “I feel pretty good.”

Even with the May 21 extension, Stafford’s contract approach remains flexible. McVay and Stafford will continue to talk contract on a year-to-year basis, a practice the team has followed since 2024, when Stafford delayed his arrival to training camp because of an impasse.

Stafford described the uncertainty without sounding alarmed.

“I can’t sit there and tell you what it’s going to look like 365 days from now,” he said. “But it’s just one of those deals where I’m doing the best I can to make sure that I can play as long as I can and make sure that my family and I are all on the same page before we embark on whatever season it may be.”.

Where this all lands is clear: if this season plays out the way the Rams expect. they could give Stafford another weapon at the trade deadline. Until then. the team has already guaranteed him plenty of cash—and. just as importantly. a plan that makes the next step feel less like a cliff and more like a steady hand on the wheel.

Simpson’s presence in the draft class isn’t presented as a distraction from Stafford’s best years. It’s presented as preparation for what comes next, while Stafford keeps doing what he’s always done—reading defenses, anticipating what’s coming, and carrying the offense now, not later.

Rams Ty Simpson Matthew Stafford Sean McVay Les Snead NFL Draft Super Bowl LXI SoFi Stadium Trent McDuffie Jaylen Watson Stafford extension