Sean McVay defends Ty Simpson pick after viral press conference moment

Thursday night, after the Los Angeles Rams drafted Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 13 overall pick, head coach Sean McVay sat at a podium next to a visibly enthusiastic general manager Les Snead and said close to nothing.

His answers ran under eight words most of the time. He would not commit to Simpson being the backup.

Multiple reporters in the room said they had never seen anything quite like it from a coach who built an entire career on being the most energetic person anywhere he stood.

The internet noticed immediately, and by Friday morning, the NFL world had already decided what it meant.

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McVay had a different explanation

When the Day 2 news conference opened, he walked in and asked reporters, "What do you guys think, am I angry right now?" He cracked a smile, acknowledged he had received a flood of texts about it, and admitted he "can be a little grumpy," but said the grumpiness had nothing to do with the pick.

"There was other things that had nothing to do with that, that's normal life," he said. His fuller explanation was that he was trying not to look too eager about replacing a quarterback he genuinely loves. "The demeanor would have been stoic by nature because you are excited, but it is Matthew's football team," he added.

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

Snead was consistent on Friday morning, calling himself and McVay "in lockstep" on every draft decision. But the context around the pick told its own story.

Per Sports Illustrated's reporting, Snead had a prior relationship with Simpson's father Jason, who coaches at UT Martin, and was among the voices encouraging Ty to declare for the draft. McVay, by multiple accounts, had never spoken to Simpson before draft night.

The bridge between a head coach and a general manager is supposed to hold weight. The Rams, as seen in the clip above, insist it does.

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