Alabama football quarterback Ty Simpson has declared for the 2026 NFL draft. But his declaration has not stopped teams from sending offers to Simpson’s camp for him to return for one last college football season.
According to a person close to Simpson, Miami sent the Alabama quarterback an offer to be the highest-paid player in college football at $6.5 million. The Hurricanes’ official offer started at $4 million and quickly ballooned to $5 million within minutes before reaching the current offer.
Tennessee and Ole Miss, according to the source, offered Simpson $4 million.
In 2025, Simpson’s base salary at Alabama was $400,000, according to a person close to Simpson. It doubled to $800,000 with incentives.
As of Sunday, Jan. 11, Simpson is not in the NCAA transfer portal. He also has not yet signed his NFL paperwork, but is preparing to travel to Mobile for the 2026 Senior Bowl.
According to the source, Simpson and his family have had ‘restless hours’ talking through offers received. But the expectation is for Simpson to remain in the NFL draft as one of the top three quarterbacks on the board along with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore.
In the 2025 draft, the New York Giants signed former Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart to a four-year, $17-million contract with a $9 million signing bonus, all of which was guaranteed, per ESPN. Dart was drafted 25th overall.
Simpson is also pulled to having his legacy being tied to Alabama and the Crimson Tide being his alma mater in the NFL.
In 2025, Simpson led the SEC with 305 completions and 473 pass attempts. He had 3,567 passing yards, 30 total touchdowns and five interceptions.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him atcgay@gannett.com or follow him@_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.