Stafford, Simpson and a QB-in-waiting dilemma: McVay must be 'careful' | Opinion

Stafford, in talks to extend an $84 million contract that has a year remaining, may turn out to be the perfect, cordial mentor for Simpson. McVay insists that whenever Stafford retires, he will do it on his own terms. So, no need for controversy. Easy does it.

Still, NFL history tells us it’s not always smooth between star quarterback and projected successor. Case in point: Brett Favre was hardly accommodating during the early 2000s when the Packers selected Aaron Rodgers with a first-round pick. Rodgers was much more of a mentor when Jordan Love came along in 2020.

A generation ago, Joe Montana was miffed when the 49ers traded for Steve Young, who ultimately replaced the three-time Super Bowl MVP after Montana’s long-term elbow injury surfaced in 1991 and opened the door. And three years before that, Montana was benched for a game and replaced by Young, which ignited tension that never subsided for the rest of Montana’s tenure in San Francisco.

Ironically, McVay’s late grandfather, John, was the 49ers GM and for a significant portion of that period was Bill Walsh’s right-hand man.

More recently, the Falcons had a mess on their hands when they drafted Michael Penix, Jr. eighth overall in 2024 – weeks after luring Kirk Cousins to Atlanta with a $180 million contract. In one regard, there was nothing outlandish about then-GM Terry Fontenot’s decision to draft a promising young quarterback, stocking up for the future.

The problem, though, was that the Falcons never bothered to tell Cousins that they might draft a quarterback. Cousins didn’t find out until Atlanta was on the clock to select Penix. Not good. Seems like that would have been standard courtesy, even if Cousins (who wound up starting 24 games over two seasons) was already guaranteed $100 million.

Which reminds me of a case in 2017 that involved Sean Payton and Drew Brees. The Saints were set to draft Patrick Mahomes with the 11th pick overall. And Payton was sure to share the plan with Brees, who also happened to be visiting the team’s draft headquarters during the draft.

Then Andy Reid & Co. wrecked the plan. The Chiefs swung a huge trade with the Bills – which included giving up a No. 1 pick in 2018 and a third-round pick in 2027 – to move up from 27th in the first round to 10th, jumping one spot ahead of the Saints. New Orleans wound up drafting cornerback Marshon Lattimore with the 11th pick. And there were no hard feelings with Brees, who went on to play four more seasons to finish his Hall of Fame career. Yet a different type of history for all parties was right there to be written.

In the Rams case, McVay was wise to amplify his stance on Stafford, just in case anyone needs to hear it. Or see it.

Contact Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sean McVay's reaction to Ty Simpson NFL draft pick about respect – and history