The Rams’ plan for Ty Simpson is not new

Brett Favre —> Aaron Rodgers (2005)

Two decades before Aaron Rodgers saw himself replaced by Jordan Love, he also was drafted to replace a quarterback who couldn’t make up his mind about retirement. Similar to Stafford, Favre was on a year-to-year timeline and often left the Packer hanging in the balance with his intentions to play or not to play. So when Rodgers surprisingly fell to the 24th pick in the 2005 draft, Green Bay couldn’t help themselves. Did they truly need a quarterback? Probably not. But it’s smart to buy insurance for the most important position in the sport. Favre continued playing through 2010 and had stints with the Jets and Vikings. Rodgers took over full-time in 2008 and led Green Bay to the Super Bowl in his third year as the leading man.

Peyton Manning —> Brock Osweiler (2012)

The Broncos drafted Osweiler in the second round in 2012 as the heir apparent to Manning at age 36. Osweiler sat behind the legend for roughly three years before splitting time as the starter with Manning in the veteran’s final season in 2015. That year’s team won the Super Bowl despite lackluster quarterback play. It was a worthy attempt at securing a long-term quarterback even if the rest of Osweiler’s career is not noteworthy.

Tom Brady —> Jimmy Garoppolo (2014), Jacoby Brissett (2016)

With Tom Brady in his late 30’s, the Patriots were intent on finding his long-term replacement before he hung up his cleats. They took two throws at the dart board in Garoppolo and Brissett. Brady is perhaps the only player in NFL history to successfully hold off Father Time for as long as he did. Garoppolo didn’t get his shot to start until Brady was suspended to start the 2016 season. Garoppolo played well in relief but suffered an injury and gave way to Brissett. He was traded to the 49ers the following offseason. With parallels to Rodgers and Stafford, Brady had been vocal about his emotions following New England drafting Garoppolo. Still, Brady maintained his competitive edge while embracing the role as a mentor.

Aaron Rodgers —> Jordan Love (2020)

Rodgers watched the Packers take Jordan Love in the first round in 2020 and then used it as motivation to win MVP. The Packers own the blueprint for drafting a quarterback before you need one. They’ve done it twice successfully with Favre and then Rodgers. The Rams are attempting to emulate Green Bay’s magic.

Kirk Cousins —> Michael Penix (2024)

The jury is still out on this one. Penix was a shocking pick early in the first round fresh off of the Falcons signing Cousins to a large deal in free agency. Cousins tore his Achilles towards the end of his career with the Vikings and the Falcons were sensible for keeping their options open. Of course, Cousins’ career in Atlanta did not match the level of success he had in Washington or Minnesota. Penix is battling with Tua Tagovailoa for the Falcons’ starting role in 2026.

Examples that aren’t quite the same

Alex Smith —> Patrick Mahomes (2017)

**Similarites to Stafford/Simpson:** Smith was 32 when the Chiefs drafted Mahomes. Kansas City doesn’t exactly have a rich history of quarterback play. Smith is still one of the better quarterbacks in recent Chiefs history, even if his production pales in comparison to Mahomes’. **Differences from Stafford/Simpson:** Drafting Mahomes was an attempt to get better at quarterback. Smith was fine but left meat on the bone. The Chiefs were a solid team that came up short in the playoffs annually. They needed to take a shot at an elite signal caller.

Jimmy Garoppolo —> Trey Lance (2021)

San Francisco tried to copy Kansas City’s transition from Smith to Mahomes and wildly missed. They gave up a huge haul of draft picks in order to land Trey Lance, and were bailed out a little while later when they selected Brock Purdy with the final pick in 2022. Maybe it was blind luck. Purdy changed the trajectory of the franchise.