The Los Angeles Rams believe they’ve found their quarterback of the future after selecting Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Simpson now carries enormous expectations as the heir apparent to Matthew Stafford whenever he decides to retire.
Tom Brady knows a thing or two about the immense pressure that quarterbacks face and gave the Rams rookie a bit of advice while gifting him an autographed New England Patriots jersey.
“There’s very high expectations for you as a first pick,” Brady said in a video produced for Fanatics. “Every day you approach the field, you’re out there to get better, you’re out there to make your teammates better. And I wish you the very best of luck in everything that you’re doing. Keep up the great work and I’m cheering for you every step of the way.”
Christmas came early 🎁
We surprised @RamsNFL rookie QB @ty_simpson06 with a message from @TomBrady to help kickoff his @NFL career@AlabamaFTBL @NFLPA pic.twitter.com/NGljgRpq8z
— Fanatics (@Fanatics) August 16, 2026
Simpson was touched by the gesture and called it one of the best moments of his young career so far. Many quarterbacks look up to Brady, so the 23-year-old understands the significance of receiving such a message from one of the greatest to ever do it.
Brady won seven Super Bowl championships across his 23 seasons with the Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was able to dominate across three different decades despite only being a sixth-round draft pick in 2000.
Brady made it a mission to prove his doubters wrong, and now Simpson will look to do the same after some criticized the Rams’ decision to select him so early in the draft.
Ty Simpson felt more comfortable than ever before in Rams preseason debut
The Rams began their preseason schedule with a 20-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday thanks in part to Simpson’s impressive NFL debut.
The rookie quarterback completed 21 of his 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns without committing a turnover. He entered the game at the end of the first quarter after Stetson Bennett played the first two series and led the offense the rest of the way.
Simpson revealed that he didn’t have any pregame jitters and felt confident in his first NFL action, adding that he hopes to build on his momentum. He will have two more preseason games to get reps before the start of his rookie season.
