As he awaits his first NFL season, Ty Simpson, the 13th pick in the 2026 Draft, is now drawing new comparisons.
Simpson, who was drafted to be Matthew Stafford’s successor, was initially compared to San Francisco 49ers‘ quarterback Mac Jones before the draft. Now, he is drawing comparisons to the 49ers’ Brock Purdy.
Despite being the last pick in the 2022 draft, Purdy has been a revelation for the 49ers. He worked his way from the bottom of the depth chart to becoming the starting quarterback. He has since signed a five-year deal and is expected to be the starting quarterback for the near future.
Simpson’s career hasn’t started yet, but with time, he could be the perfect quarterback to take over for Stafford.
Brock Purdy Comparison
Coming out of college, Purdy was not considered an elite quarterback prospect. Playing four years at Iowa State, Purdy became a polished player with numerous starts. Drafted last, Purdy began the season as the third-string quarterback before two quarterback injuries boosted him to the starter in 2022.
Purdy immediately improved the offense and was the better option at quarterback. Since then, he has been the 49ers’ starter. Purdy was never a top 10 quarterback, but he proved to be a strong player for San Francisco, even leading them to the Super Bowl in 2023. In 2025, he signed a five-year, $265 million contract and has now cemented himself as a star quarterback.
Purdy has several good qualities, including leadership, resilience, and perseverance. Purdy worked his way from third on the depth chart to being a franchise quarterback. While he isn’t the most talented, he has intangibles you can’t teach.
Simpson’s comparison to Purdy can be viewed as both negative and positive. While Purdy has his strengths, being compared to the last pick in the draft is not always viewed favorably.
At pick 13, the Rams are looking for a potential Hall of Famer or at least a solid starter. Even his initial comparisons to Mac Jones were not viewed as positive. Jones is currently on his third team after making the pro bowl his rookie season. Jones was expected to become the next cornerstone quarterback for New England after Tom Brady. However, he was traded after three years, and now, he’s a backup with the 49ers.
The Rams’ decision to draft Simpson still seems to be a mixed choice. While head coach Sean McVay cleared up rumors about his displeasure with the selection, it still seems as though he wanted to spend the pick on addressing another position.
While scouts questioned Simpson’s ceiling, we haven’t seen him play in the pros yet. His skill and talent are yet to be unlocked by the Rams, but with time, he can become far better than we can imagine. There have been numerous quarterbacks who were backups before they became starters. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers both spent time on the bench before they became starters, and both are now all-time great quarterbacks.
Ty Simpson’s Expectations
The Rams are not expecting Simpson to be a Hall of Fame quarterback, but they do expect him to develop into Matthew Stafford’s successor. His selection in the first round guarantees him an opportunity to be the next great Rams quarterback.
For Simpson, this year is a learning opportunity. Stafford recently signed a one-year extension, meaning Simpson will learn under him and head coach Sean McVay. He will still need to earn the opportunity to back up Stafford going forward.
“[Simpson] is going to compete with Stetson,” McVay said.
