Ty Simpson will have a decision to make about his future in the upcoming weeks, but the Alabama quarterback wasn’t ready for that in the immediate aftermath of the Crimson Tide’s 38-3 loss to Indiana in Thursday’s College Football Playoff game.
“No, not at all,” Simpson told reporters when asked if he has made plans yet for 2026 yet, according to AL.com.
“I’m just really worried about these last minutes with the seniors and everybody who won’t be here next year.”
Simpson, who added that he’s “ready to get back to work,” completed 12-of-16 passes for just 67 yards and sustained a cracked rib — from absorbing the impact of a helmet — while scrambling for a first down in the opening half, which eventually prompted him to exit in the third quarter.
Austin Mack replaced Simpson after the Crimson Tide’s first drive of the second half, and he completed 11-of-16 passes for 103 yards across the rest of the game — with Simpson acknowledging that he thought Mack being fully healthy could help them win.
“Felt like I had a good thing going on that drive when I got hit,” Simpson told reporters postgame. “It kind of changed the momentum for sure. … The competitor in me wanted to make sure I got the first down. Got more than the first down, and then should have been smart and just got down.”
Simpson served as the Alabama backup for three seasons before taking over the starting role in 2025, throwing for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions as the Crimson Tide collected a 10-2 record — enough to squeeze into the College Football Playoff field as one of the final teams.
Despite struggling against the Hoosiers in the Rose Bowl, Simpson, who has one year of eligibility remaining, has been viewed as a signal-caller who could get selected in the first round of April’s NFL draft behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore.
That means the Jets and Giants will be monitoring his decision closely.
Gang Green needs a signal-caller, and the Raiders possessing the top pick entering Week 18’s slate could mean that Mendoza is off the board by the time they make their pick.
The Giants already have a potential quarterback of the future in Jaxson Dart, but if they’re looking to trade down with another team perhaps more interested in a quarterback to accumulate more assets, Simpson’s status — and if he climbs draft boards — could affect them too.
