Matthew Stafford's Wife Had Kind Message For Rams Rookie Ty Simpson
Despite having one of the best quarterbacks in the league on their roster, the Los Angeles Rams drafted Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick on Thursday night.
Simpson had a breakout season at Alabama, completing 64.5% of his passes for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions. He was considered the No. 2 quarterback in this year's class, with Indiana's Fernando Mendoza being No. 1 on every draft board.
While there's no doubt Simpson has the talent to become a starter in the NFL, Rams coach Sean McVay made it clear the rookie won't be competing for Matthew Stafford's job.
"There were a lot of players that we liked, but when you do look at it, I think the thing you liked about the body of work is ... let's make one thing clear, this is Matthew's team," McVay told reporters Thursday night. "You get a chance to be able to address the backup quarterback."
Even though Stafford is the unquestioned leader of the Rams, he hasn't reached out to Simpson yet. His wife, however, has already messaged the rookie quarterback from Alabama.
During this Friday's introductory press conference, Simpson told reporters that he received a nice message from Kelly Stafford on Instagram.
"Kelly has actually texted me on Instagram and welcomed me and told me to hit her up if we need anything," Simpson said. "But I can't wait to talk to Matthew. I'm super ecstatic because I just want to pick his brain."
What does the future have in store for Stafford?
Stafford is coming off an MVP season where he threw for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns, so there's no doubt he can still compete at an elite level. Will he want to keep playing past the 2026 season? Apparently, the answer to that question is a resounding yes.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said the Rams are working on a deal with Stafford that would take care of "next season and beyond."
On the other hand, if the Rams win another Super Bowl, it'd be the perfect way for Stafford to hang up his cleats.
Copyright The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 4:33 PM.