A few months ago, the Atlanta Falcons’ 2025 draft class looked like one of the better hauls in the league. Now it’s turning sour fast, and Ty Simpson’s preseason debut only poured gasoline on the mess.
The Falcons have already watched Jalon Walker go down with a torn ACL that will cost him all of 2026. James Pearce Jr. has been suspended for the first eight games of 2026.
Billy Bowman Jr. is still hurt. Jack Nelson was cut.
That’s four of the five players Atlanta took.
And the blow gets even worse because of the move the Falcons made to get Pearce. Atlanta traded back into the first round, sent the Los Angeles Rams its 2026 first-round pick, and that pick became No. 13 overall. The Rams used it on Simpson, and he wasted no time looking every bit like a problem for Atlanta.
In Los Angeles’ preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, Simpson was the best player on the field. The Rams won 20-12, and the rookie quarterback went 21 of 25 for 190 yards and two touchdowns while flashing the arm talent that made him such a prized player at Alabama last year.
Ty Simpson is making the Falcons' James Pearce Jr. trade age like milk
Simpson was supposed to be the quarterback waiting in the wings behind reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, a clean fit for Sean McVay’s offense. Instead, he’s already giving Atlanta a reason to regret the deal.
The 23-year-old opened with a sharp completion to Tyler Scott and kept finding Rams second-rounder Max Klare. His best throws came on the Rams’ final touchdown drive, when he hit Mark Redman and Brennan Presley deep and dropped a strike to CJ Daniels.
21/25, 190 passing yards, 2 touchdowns.
A great start to the Preseason for @RamsNFL rookie QB @ty_simpson06. pic.twitter.com/QgkzQleVcl
- NFL (@NFL) August 15, 2026
And there’s another layer to this. Simpson did most of his work without the Rams’ starters around him.
He wasn’t throwing to Puka Nacua or Davante Adams. Presley and Redman were his top targets, and Dean Conners caught both touchdowns.
That’s what makes this sting for Atlanta. The Falcons could have used that pick on someone like Makai Lemon or Caleb Banks, both of whom likely would have stepped in as Day 1 starters.
Instead, Atlanta banked on Pearce and Walker as its pass-rushing future. For now, that future is on hold, with both expected to miss most of 2026. And Simpson’s debut made the trade look even rougher.
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