When Les Snead drafted Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, it took many by surprise.
Rams rookie Ty Simpson opens up on challenges learning Sean McVay’s offense
Sean McVay has rookie QB Ty Simpson ‘drinking from a fire hydrant’
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
But now Simpson is a member of the Los Angeles Rams, fighting with Stetson Bennett IV for the backup job behind veteran Matthew Stafford. And the Alabama quarterback is adjusting to life in the NFL, as outlined in a recent piece on ESPN, and “drinking from a fire hydrant” as he described the transition.
“[It’s like] drinking from a fire hydrant,” Simpson said during OTAs. “You’re expected [to do] a lot. The quarterback runs the show here, just how I like it. But it’s just making sure that you’re disciplined and you’re detail-oriented.”
Those details extend beyond the field, and include the pre-snap phase of life in the NFL as a quarterback. Which is why McVay has some interesting advice for his rookie quarterback.
“What does it look like to be able to communicate, especially as a quarterback?” McVay said. “How am I saying the plays? … You have to see plays when you’re saying them, otherwise you can’t call plays in this offense. … Practicing in the mirror, what does your voice inflection look like? How are you emphasizing certain things? How are you really being able to go through the mechanics of everything that happens before the snap? And then what’s my footwork? What’s my timing and rhythm?”
According to the rookie, the veteran Stafford is doing everything he can to help the young player adjust, with an assist from Bennett.
“I mean, he’s the MVP for a reason,” Simpson said of Stafford, the reigning NFL MVP. “Everything he does, he’s so just aware of everything. Aware of how everything works [and is] so detailed. Being in the room with him is just such a blessing.
”I really appreciate him and Stetson taking me in and answering all the questions I have. I know I’m probably annoying them, but it’s been really helpful. I can’t thank them enough.
“[Stafford has] taken us all in,” Simpson continued. “And I really appreciate it because he didn’t have to do that. And anything that I can ask him and I can just take in, I’m willing to. So like I said, I hope I’m not annoying him, but I really appreciate the big brother kind of role that he’s playing in my development.”
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