Whether it’s a Kirk Cousins/Michael Penix Jr. situation or an Aaron Rodgers/Jordan Love situation, the Rams have a situation regarding their current and future quarterbacks.
And the current starter could be playing beyond the upcoming season.
Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Rams and Stafford are “deep in discussions” covering 2026 and beyond. The Rams believe there’s a “real chance” Stafford will play beyond the 2026 season.
On one hand, it’s obvious that there’s a “real chance” 2026 won’t be Stafford’s final season; there had been no prior indication that 2026 would be Stafford’s last year. But the presence of Ty Simpson makes the question more relevant. And the circumstances more awkward.
Simpson hasn’t played a lot of college football. That was one of the knocks on him. “Limited sample size.” And the sample size won’t grow much, if things go as planned in 2026.
That’s the source of the consternation as to the decision to draft Simpson. The best-case scenario for the Rams means Simpson gets no regular-season experience — unless the Rams are blowing teams out to the point at which the Rams empty the bench.
However it goes, the Rams have the reigning MVP. For perhaps the first time in NFL history, the team with the reigning MVP drafted his eventual replacement in round one. In lieu of getting someone who could help the Rams get past the Seahawks and get to the Super Bowl, they opted to make a pick for the future.
And, at this point, the future could be 2028. Or maybe even 2029.
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