Rams’ Sean McVay shuts down upset narrative over Ty Simpson pick with Matthew Stafford admission

As the Los Angeles Rams drafted quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 13 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the biggest conversation was around head coach Sean McVay’s reaction to the selection. While some Rams fans thought McVay was livid about the Simpson pick because of the commitment to Matthew Stafford, the coach would clear the air.

Speaking to Kyle Brant and Peter Schrager during the ESPN broadcast of the third day of the NFL Draft, the former would mention how McVay didn’t look happy, and asked the coach what was going on with him on Thursday. McVay would mention being “stoic” with any pick, but he was trying to be respectful of Stafford.

“Well, there was some other things I was grumpy about that, you know, you just navigate normally. But I think the main thing was, you just wanted to make sure that…I would have been stoic by nature anyway, just based on the respect for Matthew, because it’s a unique situation,” McVay said.

Sean McVay told @KyleBrandt and @PSchrags that he wasn’t angry Thursday night after his team used the 13th overall selection on Ty Simpson; he was trying to be respectful to NFL MVP Matthew Stafford. pic.twitter.com/hBX9jmuC0f

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 25, 2026

Rams’ Sean McVay on his reactions to Ty Simpson pick

There’s no denying that McVay’s reaction in the Rams’ war room has been analyzed by every fan on the internet, but the coach emphasizes that he isn’t mad about the pick. He would talk about trying to teeter the line of being excited about picking Simpson, but also showing the investment the team still has in Stafford.

“You get a chance to be able to, you know, take a player that you like at a really important position, but you don’t want it to be minimized or misunderstood in terms of what this means in terms of our investment and our commitment to Matthew for as long as he wants to continue to play. And so you’re kind of teetering that line, and clearly, you know, I came off a little grumpier than normal,” McVay continued.

The Alabama quarterback had been a major talking point going into the draft, and looks to be the successor of Stafford, who is coming off an MVP season, as all that remains to be seen surrounding Los Angeles.

The post Rams’ Sean McVay shuts down upset narrative over Ty Simpson pick with Matthew Stafford admission appeared first on ClutchPoints.