Wait, Sean McVay did meet with Ty Simpson?

TL;DR

Ty Simpson was selected 13th overall by the Los Angeles Rams, despite previous claims that Sean McVay had never met him. Simpson stated he had 'secret meetings' with McVay before the draft.

Key points

Ty Simpson was selected 13th overall by the Los Angeles Rams.
Sean McVay was rumored to have never met Simpson before the draft.
Simpson claimed to have had secret meetings with McVay.

Ty SimpsonLos Angeles Rams

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 23: Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson reacts as he puts on a hat after being chosen 13th overall by the Los Angeles Rams in the tunnel during the the first round NFL football draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Los Angeles Rams selection of Ty Simpson has been a highly controversial one, and part of the controversy is the narrative that Sean McVay didn’t want to pick Simpson. Partly feeding that narrative was the claim that the head coach had never even met with Simpson prior to their selection. Simpson himself has pushed back on that claim by simply stating that he actually did have some “secret meetings with Coach McVay”. It’s not clear that Simpson was told he was going to be taken by the Rams, but he knew they were interested, and he knew they wanted to keep their interests private, which is normal for many teams who meet with their potential prospects. Said Simpson on ESPN Radio, *“We tried to keep this under wraps as long as we could,” Simpson said in Monday’s interview. “It was something to where I knew they were interested, but they wanted to make it private and didn’t want people to know that they were interested… So, I had some secret meetings with Coach McVay, and I just was trying to be on script and do what everybody told me and not to tell anybody.”* Did these meetings actually happen? It’s tough to say as we know players and coaches lie, but in sports and competition that’s innocently referred to as *“gamesmanship”*. It’s possible Simpson met McVay, it’s possible the team wants that idea out there so that the team can move forward selling the idea that McVay is thrilled about this selection, Looking at it at face value, the pick was made so at this point, there is no real reason for Simpson or the Rams to manufacture a meeting that didn’t happen.

Q&A

Did Ty Simpson actually meet with Sean McVay before the NFL draft?

Yes, Ty Simpson confirmed that he had 'secret meetings' with Sean McVay prior to the draft.

Why was Ty Simpson's selection by the Rams controversial?

The controversy stemmed from claims that Sean McVay did not want to pick Simpson and had never met him, which Simpson's statements contradict.

What did Ty Simpson say about the Rams' interest in him?

Simpson mentioned that the Rams wanted to keep their interest private and that he was aware they were considering him for selection.