Ty Simpson opens up about ‘life-changing’ $6.5 million decision before 2026 NFL Draft

Ty Simpson had a lot to think about before deciding to enter the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Alabama quarterback was getting some big-money offers from rival schools trying to lure him into staying in college for his senior season, and a $6.5 million offer from Miami — which lost to Indiana in the national championship game — gave him real pause about going pro.

“I think the last offer was definitely one that I just had to sit down and consider, because it would have been life-changing money,” Simpson said on David Pollack’s “See Ball Get Ball” show. “It would have made me the highest-paid player in college and it was something to where I was like, I can’t just ignore this. I have to sit down and think about it. That’s kind of how I am, I don’t want to do anything sporadic. I want to sit down and think it all out, and it really just came down to how I wanted to be remembered and what do I want to do?”

The 23-year-old Simpson, a potential first-round pick on Thursday, then sought advice from his former coach, Nick Saban, who retired after the quarterback’s second year with Alabama.

“The things he was talking about were, ‘all right, do you want to play football in college or do you want to play football professionally?’ And he was like, ‘Take the money out of it, take the rounds out of it, what do you want to do next year?’ And without a doubt, without hesitation, I said, ‘I want to play professional football.’ And he was like, ‘Well, there’s your answer,’” Simpson said. “It was something to where, I’ve always dreamed of it and I felt that I was ready to take that next step and be the face of a franchise and lead a locker room.”

Simpson has been a polarizing prospect over the last few months. He is considered the second-best quarterback in this year’s draft class behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to go No. 1 overall to the Raiders.

Ty Simpson considered a $6.5 million offer from Miami before entering the 2026 NFL Draft. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

But this year’s quarterback class is viewed as weak compared to next year, and he’s been projected anywhere from a mid-first-rounder to a Day 2 selection.

Simpson started just one season in college, throwing for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions. He led Alabama to a win over Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff before they were blown out by Indiana in the Rose Bowl.