Ty Simpson Draft Pick Explained by Rams GM Les Snead, Talks Matthew Stafford & McVay in New Videos

Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead says head coach Sean McVay made sure NFL MVP Matthew Stafford was on board with his franchise's decision to select quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 13 pick of the 2026 NFL draft.

"I know Sean sat down with Matthew, and Sean was the one that was communicating what our plans were if Ty were to fall to 13," Snead said Tuesday on ESPN's Pat McAfee Show.

Snead continued, "I think at the end of the day, Matthew is a very, very smart player. He comprehends what the plan is. He understands it. He's a professional, that's what he does. And at the end of the day, he's the reigning MVP."

Snead said the Rams went into the draft seeing the No. 13 selection as a "bonus pick" after acquiring the selection from the Atlanta Falcons during the 2025 draft.

The Rams' top priority in the draft was to add a cornerback, but the highest-ranked corners were expected to go before No. 13, Snead said.

"We had a good guess that we weren't going to be able to solidify that corner room with even the 13th pick," Snead said. "So, okay, let's pivot. Let's use No. 29, trade for [Trent] McDuffie."

The Rams ultimately sent four picks to the Kansas City Chiefs in order to acquire an experienced cornerback in McDuffie, who was then signed McDuffie to a contract that will make him the highest-paid corner in the NFL.

Simpson originally raised questions about the Rams' deliberations during the draft after telling reporters he had "really no clue" the franchise was going to select him and that he'd never met McVay or spoken to Snead before Thursday night.

Snead told McAfee these answers were because the Rams had asked Simpson to stay quiet about meeting team leadership, including an hours-long meeting with both McVay and Snead, in order to prevent opponents potentially moving up to block the Rams' draft moves.

That's standard policy for a team that hosted no top-30 visits while holding more than 60 private meetings with prospects before both the 2024 and 2025 drafts, Snead said.

"I think you guys all know Sean. There's no way he would pick a QB without meeting him. That's what we do," Snead said. "I think that's probably common sense."

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported last Friday that "multiple team sources said they believe McVay might have felt the need to downplay the pick in order to accentuate his confidence in Stafford," but that McVay and Snead were believed to have made the decision to draft Simpson together.

Stafford already confirmed in February that he will be returning for another season with the Rams, and The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue reported Tuesday that "progress has been made" on a new contract.

In addition to contract negotiations, the Rams will need to determine who is backing Stafford up. McVay said immediately after the Rams drafted Simpson that the rookie quarterback will be competing with Stetson Bennett for the QB2 spot, a sentiment Snead backed during a Friday appearance on ESPN Los Angeles' Sedano & Kap Morning Show.

That competition between Simpson and Bennett could start in earnest next month when OTA offseason workouts begin May 26.