After the Los Angeles Rams used the No. 13 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to select Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, it seemed to many that head coach Sean McVay was not a fan of the move, judging by his demeanor during the post-pick press conference.
On Friday, McVay wanted everyone to know that his “grumpy” mood had nothing to do with Simpson, who is likely to spend the next few years on the bench behind Matthew Stafford, and
“What do you guys think, am I angry right now?” the Rams’ coach asked reporters Friday night as he and general manager Les Snead kicked off their NFL Draft Day 2 presser.
Sean McVay addresses his demeanor during the Ty Simpson press conference on Thursday and says he’s excited about the draft pick and that Les Snead is his buddy and they are on the same page. pic.twitter.com/nFUAJ1eLzE
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 25, 2026
“I will say this, though, the one thing that would never be doubted is, you know, we couldn’t be in more lockstep in every decision that we make. And I think it’s—I get my demeanor last night… But we’re excited about it. There’s different things [you] always want to be mindful of, all right, how things come off, things like that. Very excited about last night, very excited about today, and couldn’t be more excited about us continuing to lead together. But every decision that we make is collective and collaborative. And so for any of the questions or misunderstandings just based on my demeanor or disposition last night, I did want to get that out of the way.”
McVay said that he realized something was off with the way he was handling himself during the presser, “because I got so many texts, and that was never my intended way to be able to come off. But sometimes I can be a little grumpy, you know.”
As for why he was so grumpy, McVay said that “there was other things that had nothing to do with that, which, you know, that’s normal life.”
Even if McVay puts this mini-controversy to bed, he’s still going to have his hands full in the seasons ahead. Stafford is committed to returning to the Rams in 2026, but the 38-year-old’s career is in the homestretch. Given that Simpson was selected in the first round, there might be internal pressure for him to see the field sooner or later, especially if LA struggles. How all of that plays out is likely to bother someone.
McVay might have very well had his mind elsewhere Thursday night, but he’s going to have a lot to think about in the years ahead.
