The Rams went ahead and drafted the future instead of potentially adding a rookie who could make an immediate impact on a team with legitimate Super Bowl hopes. Matthew Stafford is coming off an MVP-winning season in 2026, and with the 38-year-old QB essentially in the prime of his career, getting the Rams back to the Super Bowl in 2026 is a top priority, which is why the selection of Simpson at No. 13 overall was such a surprise.
McVay made it a point Thursday to declare that the Rams are still Stafford’s team while adding that Simpson will have to compete with Stetson Bennett for the backup job. It also could have fanned the flames of perception, but Snead insists everyone is on the same page.
“I think Sean had a chat with Matthew before last night and that’s one thing that Matthew definitely earned,” Snead said. “That’s one of the things that we’re working together to get through. Matthew is on his way to, I would say this, a Hall of Fame career, right? And he’s still got gas left in the tank. And the big picture, our vision has always been, hey, let’s make the most of this time with Matthew and his teammates — let’s chase special together, however long it is the beginning of this chapter at this time. The longer, the better, Matthew just came off an MVP season, so if he continues to play, it’s better for everyone involved.”
Snead noted Friday that the Rams already addressed the club’s “most pressing need” when they acquired cornerback Trent McDuffie in a trade with the Chiefs, which claimed one of LA’s two first-round picks. The McDuffie addition highlights a complete overhaul of the Rams’ CB corps this offseason and was seen as the club’s biggest move until Thursday night.
The Rams still have a chance to improve over the next two days with six picks remaining. Snead will continue — with McVay by his side — to do so, especially after a first-round pick that won’t materialize until Stafford is ready to call it a career.
“We’ve always known there’s going to come a time when we need our quarterback of the future,” Snead said. “And the way the stars aligned in this draft, that was the opportunity, we felt like we should take it. And at the end of the day, we should also go into this season with the possibility of Jimmy (Garoppolo) retiring, there was definitely an immediate need for a backup. And Stetson Bennett has been there and knows our system and is going to compete for it, where and at what level it was, too. We’re trying to get — we’re let’s not pick so early — you have a draft where this quarterback was falling somewhere in the middle of the late first round, wherever he was going to go, there was an opportunity to do that and then move on.”