Every quarterback taken in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is now officially under contract. Ty Simpson agreed to terms on his rookie deal with the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday, according to NFL.com, closing out the 2026 first-round class just in time for training camp.
The deal is a four-year contract worth $25.4 million, fully guaranteed, with a $14.9 million signing bonus, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The league’s official transaction wire confirmed the signing later Saturday. Simpson’s deal also carries a fifth-year option, a standard feature for first-round rookie contracts, according to NBC Sports.
Saturday was the Rams’ report day for training camp, so the timing wasn’t an accident. Simpson had been the lone unsigned member of the 2026 first round heading into the weekend, per ESPN, and now walks into his first NFL camp with his contract situation settled.
A Draft-Day Surprise Becomes a Rookie Deal
The Rams drafted Simpson 13th overall out of Alabama, a pick that caught plenty of people off guard. Simpson had been viewed as more of a second-round prospect, and Los Angeles already had reigning AP NFL Most Valuable Player Matthew Stafford under center on a roster built to win now. Taking a quarterback in the first round of a Super Bowl-window year isn’t the conventional move. The Rams made it anyway.
Simpson started just one season at Alabama after sitting behind Jalen Milroe for two years. In that lone year as the starter, he completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions, helping the Crimson Tide to an 11-4 record, according to Bleacher Report.
He was the second quarterback off the board behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who went No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. Mendoza and Simpson were the only two quarterbacks taken in round one this year. Mendoza signed his own rookie deal three days earlier — a four-year, $57.27 million fully guaranteed contract with a $38.1 million signing bonus, according to NFL.com.
| Player | Pick | Team | Contract | Signing Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernando Mendoza | No. 1 | Las Vegas Raiders | 4 years, $57.27M (fully guaranteed) | $38.1M |
| Ty Simpson | No. 13 | Los Angeles Rams | 4 years, $25.4M (fully guaranteed) | $14.9M |
Learning Behind Stafford — For Now
Simpson isn’t walking into a starting job. He’ll compete with Stetson Bennett for the No. 2 spot behind Stafford, with head coach Sean McVay’s offense as the first real hurdle. Simpson has described picking up the scheme as “like drinking from a fire hydrant,” per NFL.com — but he’s also said he sees real value in the situation. He’s called learning behind Stafford and veteran receiver Davante Adams a big advantage, and has said he couldn’t have asked for a better spot to start his career.
That framing matters here. The Rams didn’t draft Simpson to start immediately. Stafford is coming off an MVP season, and the front office has made no secret that this remains his team in the short term. Drafting Simpson in the first round lets Los Angeles develop its long-term answer at quarterback without disrupting a roster built for a title push right now — a page out of the modern playbook for contending teams managing succession at the position.
What’s Next
With Simpson’s deal official, the entire 2026 first-round class is signed, and Rams training camp opens with no contract drama hanging over the quarterback room. Simpson will get his first extended look at NFL practice reps in the coming days as Los Angeles works through camp before the preseason.
