Jeff LegwoldFeb 27, 2026, 10:28 AM ET
- Jeff Legwold covers the Denver Broncos at ESPN. He has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years and also assists with NFL draft coverage, joining ESPN in 2013. He has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999, too. Jeff previously covered the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans at previous stops prior to ESPN.
INDIANAPOLIS -- Former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson said Friday at the NFL combine that he is prepared to show NFL talent evaluators that he is a "franchise quarterback.''
Simpson is the No. 25 player overall on ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.'s Big Board and the No. 2 quarterback behind Indiana's Fernando Mendoza (the No. 1 player overall). Simpson was asked at the combine Friday about his readiness to be an NFL starter. He said he has conveyed his confidence in his abilities to team personnel during the sit-down interviews in Indianapolis.
"First off, I think I'm ready, I'm a franchise quarterback,'' Simpson said. "Alabama prepares you the most for the NFL ... The Alabama locker room is as close to an NFL locker room as you can get.''
Simpson said he is healthy after battling some nagging injuries down the stretch this past season, including to his lower back and elbow as well as a fractured rib. He plans to throw Saturday during the on-field workout for quarterbacks. Mendoza is not expected to throw Saturday, so Simpson will be Kiper's highest-ranked quarterback to participate in the combine workout.
"It's why I decided to throw and why I'm excited about it,'' Simpson said of his health.
He also addressed his significant weight loss toward the end of the season -- he went from about 210 pounds to just over 190 pounds due to what some in the league have said was a case of gastritis -- and outlined his pre-combine regimen to be prepared for the combine and the draft.
"Lot of eating, lot of three meals, four meals a day,'' Simpson said of his combine prep. "Lot of shakes, just getting in a routine of getting up in the morning, eating, drinking chocolate milk, eating lunch, eating the right meal, adding a shake to that, dinner, eating, adding a salad, just sticking to that.''
He was a one-year starter for the Crimson Tide (11-4) and finished with 3,567 yards passing with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions. But Simpson had 21 of his touchdown passes without an interception over his first eight games of the season and struggled some, including with the injuries. over the second half of the season as well as in the postseason with seven touchdowns to go with the five interceptions over the last six games.
Some scouts have pointed to some struggles in the SEC championship game, a 28-7 loss to Georgia when Simpson was 19-of-39 passing as well as a 38-3 loss to Indiana in the College Football Playoff when Simpson was 12-of-16 for 67 yards.
But Simpson said Friday he has met with most teams who have needs at quarterback, including the Steelers, Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets. And when asked about the second half of last season, he has been direct in his responses with scouts and coaches.
On his meeting with the Steelers, Simpson said "I love Coach [Mike] McCarthy, I love the Steelers.'' He added he hasn't paid much attention to player rankings or quarterback rankings as the draft approaches.
"It matters what happens April 24th and 25th,'' Simpson said. "Knowing no matter where I'm projected, where I go, they're going to get the best Ty Simpson.''
