Mike Tannenbaum Ty Simpson Credit: ESPN
By Matt Yoder on

Move over Dan Orlovsky, Mike Tannenbaum is here to plant his flag as the biggest cheerleader of the Los Angeles Rams shocking the world and picking Ty Simpson with their first round selection in the NFL Draft.

The Rams picking Simpson at #13 overall was the most polarizing pick in Thursday night’s first round. While Dan Orlovsky celebrated his vindication after hyping Simpson’s pro prospects for months, it only seemed fitting that he would become the heir apparent to his close, personal friend Matthew Stafford. While the pick may have been a reach, it gives the Rams a clear succession plan at the position.

However, it also spurned an opportunity to provide Stafford and the Rams with a player who could contribute right away on a team that was in the NFC Championship game just last season. With Stafford at the helm, the Rams’ Super Bowl window isn’t going to last forever. So spending a first rounder on a backup quarterback feels like a luxury choice that could hurt the team in the near-term. And Sean McVay’s viral reaction to the pick has led many to assume that the Ty Simpson choice was far from a unanimous sentiment in the Rams draft room.

Of course, this makes perfect debate fodder for ESPN, who had been driving the Ty Simpson hype train as the draft’s major story. That looks like it will continue throughout much of the offseason with Tannenbaum pouring even more gasoline on the fire on Get Up with a take so hot that he is willing to get physical over it.

“I am ready to fight anybody who says this wasn’t one of the greatest decisions we’ve seen in recent memory, “Tannenbaum said. “You think about the Green Bay Packers going from Favre to Rodgers, Rodgers to Love, those were decade long positive decisions. And you can ask the Pittsburgh Steelers, guys, how easy it is to replace a franchise quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger. They’re not going to be drafting high for the foreseeable future. They’re playing chess, a lot of other teams are playing checkers. And by the way, at 38 years old with a bad back, it’s not inconceivable that Ty Simpson’s on the field during a 17-game season. So this should pay off for a long, long time.”

Let’s just take a breath here. Nobody, and I mean absolutely nobody, needs to be so worked up over Ty Simpson that they need to get involved in fisticuffs. Although we’re all guilty for wanting to see Mike Tannenbaum and Dan Orlovsky to issue an open challenge for a no holds barred tag-team match on the next WWE PLE show, it’s just not that serious. The look on Dan Graziano’s face when Tannenbaum said that remark was incredible.

Secondly, one of the greatest decisions in recent memory? We’re talking about things like the Patriots drafting Tom Brady or the Saints signing Drew Brees in free agency. The Chiefs drafted Patrick Mahomes when Alex Smith was firmly entrenched as their starter. Is that the class of player Mike Tannenbaum is ready to put Ty Simpson in on April 28, 2026? Because if so then we should just go ahead and get his gold jacket ready for Canton.

Not everyone in the football world will agree with that hyperbolic sentiment. But just don’t tell Mike Tannenbaum about it because otherwise he might come looking for you.

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