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 starting quarterback Matthew Stafford’s wife, Kelly.
Seen by many as a Super Bowl contender entering the 2026 season, the Rams raised eyebrows in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night by taking Simpson, an Alabama quarterback widely projected to be a Day 2 selection.
Not only was it a surprise to see Simpson picked at No. 13 after just 15 starts with the Crimson Tide, but head coach Sean McVay appeared somewhat dismayed with the pick while addressing the media on Thursday. McVay stressed that Stafford remains the team’s unquestioned starter and hesitated to even name Simpson as the primary backup, indicating the rookie would compete with inexperienced 28-year-old Stetson Bennett IV for the job.
By Friday, McVay was correcting reporters and explaining he was both happy with the selection and in lock step with Rams general manager Les Snead.
But just when things appeared to be normalizing for Simpson, he was asked if he’s had a chance to speak with Stafford, a 38-year-old Super Bowl winner and reigning NFL Most Valuable Player.
‘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.
