Ty Simpson, one of the most polarizing 2026 quarterback draft prospects who’s been heavily linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers, delivered a confident statement to the entire NFL — he’s capable of becoming a franchise quarterback.
Simpson, who only had one season as a starting quarterback at Alabama, has had plenty of doubters heading into the draft process. But his recent message may have silenced them all.
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“I feel like I’m ready. I’m a franchise quarterback,” Simpson told reporters on Friday. “Like I said earlier, Alabama prepared me most for the NFL. With the infrastructure that they had, and the guys from Coach [Nick] Saban and then Coach [Kalen] DeBoer, Coach [Ryan] Grubb, all the coordinators that I had before, I run an NFL-type system. It’s definitely prepared me for saying those long play calls, saying those checks, making sure that I get us in the right protection. Everybody talks about my starts, but I’ve played in other games besides that, and I’ve played against really good NFL players.”
Backing up his strong statement with a great combine performance would make Simpson nearly undeniable among quarterback-needy teams heading into the 2026 NFL Draft.
Earlier in the week, ESPN’s Brook Pryor reported that the Steelers have “closely watched” Simpson, but it remains to be seen if Pittsburgh considers him worthy of first-round draft status, or if they’re hoping to avoid a potential Kenny Pickett 2.0.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: NFL combine: Simpson delivers strong message amid Steelers buzz