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Ty Simpson’s entry into the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams was already off to a rocky start, but the situation became even more complicated with an unexpected message from Kelly Stafford, the wife of the team’s starting quarterback, Matthew Stafford.
Heading into the 2026 season, the Rams were seen as strong contenders for the Super Bowl. However, their decision during Thursday night’s NFL Draft to select Simpson, a quarterback from Alabama, in the first round stirred surprise. Many experts had anticipated he would be chosen on the draft’s second day.
The choice of Simpson at the 13th spot raised eyebrows, especially since he had only 15 starts with the Crimson Tide. Head coach Sean McVay seemed less than enthusiastic when addressing the press on Thursday. He reassured that Stafford would remain the definitive starter for the team and was reluctant to even designate Simpson as the main backup. Instead, he mentioned that Simpson would be competing with Stetson Bennett IV, a 28-year-old with limited NFL experience, for the backup role.
By Friday, McVay attempted to clear the air with reporters, affirming his satisfaction with the draft choice and his alignment with Rams general manager Les Snead.
Despite these reassurances, Simpson’s situation became even more intriguing when he was asked if he’d spoken to Stafford, the 38-year-old quarterback who is both a Super Bowl champion and the reigning NFL MVP.
‘I have not,’ Simpson told reporters on Friday. ‘Kelly has actually texted me on Instagram and welcomed me and told [me] to hit her up if we need anything but I can’t wait to talk to Matthew. I’m super ecstatic because I just want to pick his brain about everything.’
What was already an awkward introduction to the NFL for Los Angeles Rams rookie Ty Simpson has only grown more so with an unexpected text message from Kelly Stafford
Matthew Stafford and wife Kelly have been together since attending the University of Georgia
Fans couldn’t help but laugh at the optics of a backup quarterback getting a direct line to the starter’s wife.
‘Have you heard from Stafford?’ one fan wrote in an imagined dialogue on X.
‘No, but I heard from his wife,’ they responded, adding: ‘lmao what a boss move.’
Another fan asked: ‘Could this be considered “sneaking into your DMs?”‘
Others had a similar question.
‘Did he just say that Stafford’s wife slid into his DMs and said hit her up?’
Kelly was not genuinely being accused of trying to have an affair with one of Stafford’s teammates, but fans were quick to remember when she dated his backup while at the University of Georgia.
Rams head coach Sean McVay seemed to know very little about Ty Simpson
As Kelly revealed on her podcast in 2022, she dated a second-string quarterback at Georgia while she and Stafford were in an off-and-on stage of their relationship.
‘I dated the backup to piss him off,’ she said. ‘Like, that was the type of situation we were in.’
Many were quick to recall this admission following Simpson’s revelation on Friday.
‘Kelly Stafford going after another one of Matt’s teammates,’ one fan joked. ‘SOMEONE STOP THIS WOMAN.’
The decision to take Simpson appeared to belong to Rams GM Les Snead (pictured)
As for Simpson, the 23-year-old backup hopes to learn as much as possible from Stafford in 2026 and, potentially, beyond.
‘Matthew Stafford throws the ball with conviction and doesn’t care what happens,’ Simpson said. ‘He might throw a pick the drive before, and he’s coming back and throwing the same type of ball.
‘That dude is an assassin. As a quarterback, that’s the type of mentality you have to have. Being able to learn from him and learn how he’s doing those things on a daily basis, I can’t wait to soak it all up.’
The decision to take Simpson may have belonged to Snead, who has a connection with the quarterback’s father.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Snead and Jason Simpson, Ty’s father and the head coach at the University of Tennessee-Martin, have been close for years. Snead even advised the Simpsons on Ty’s choice to declare for the draft, Breer wrote on X.