'Not Very Gifted': NFL Executive Makes Ruthless Comparison for Ty Simpson

In addition to being criticized for only starting in 15 career games, Simpson has been ridiculed for his size — and an AFC executive took it a step further.

Jan 1, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (15) runs against Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Aiden Fisher (4) in the first half of the 2026 Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson isn't in the NFL just yet, but he already has something to add to his bulletin board.

Simpson is the consensus QB2 in the 2026 NFL Draft class, trailing Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, who will all but certainly be the first overall pick on Thursday night in Pittsburgh. Simpson's projection in the draft has been all over the place, as predictions have varied from the second overall pick to the middle of the second round.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero recently interviewed several NFL scouts, coordinators and executives regarding the 2026 quarterback class. While some had nice things to say about Simpson, others went in the other direction. Pelissero didn't directly name any of his sources, and that includes perhaps the most ruthless quote directed at Simpson.

“The longer you watch him, you feel a little, man," an AFC executive told Pelissero. "What’s he going to look like in our league? History’s betting against us here. He gets thrown around. The kid’s not very big, he’s not very gifted. When he gets sacked, it looks like your dog swinging around their squeaky toy.”

After falling to Florida State in the season opener during his first career start, Simpson showed exponential growth over the next couple of months. He was being perceived as a Heisman Trophy candidate, but in the final handful of games, including the postseason, he struggled.

In the first 11 games, Simpson averaged 266.7 passing yards and 2.0 touchdowns on 66.9 completion percentage. In the final four games, including the Rose Bowl where he exited early in the third quarter due to a rib injury, he averaged 158.3 passing yards and 1.5 touchdowns on 57.1 completion percentage.

Pelissero revealed on Feb. 23, the first day of the NFL Combine, that Simpson was "dealing with a severe case of gastritis toward the tail end of the season. He was weighing in the 190s by the time they got to the Rose Bowl."

Simpson was back up to about 211 pounds at the NFL Combine, but even when he reached this weight, another AFC executive told Pelissero, "When he walked in our room, he looked like one of the ball boys."

An NFC executive had something similar to say.

“They’ve tried to get him to 210, and I think he’s really struggled to get there. I think he played in the low 200s and then he got the crap beat out of him in that offense. All the dropback and struggling to run the ball. But early on, he was really decisive, he’s accurate, he can throw on time, he processed quickly – all those things were really, really encouraging, and then he just fell apart physically.”

Pre-draft evaluations are a double-edged sword. Simpson can succumb to them or he can make these executives look like a squeaky toy being thrown around by a dog.

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