When Austin Mack finally took over for Ty Simpson at quarterback in the third quarter of the Rose Bowl, it was reportedly a coach’s decision that sent the redshirt junior starting QB to the Crimson Tide bench. However, with the injury that Simpson suffered in the second quarter, plenty of quarterbacks wouldn’t have needed the coach to take them out of the game; they would have done it themselves.
Simpson, who was already battling through a right elbow injury down the stretch of the season, suffered a fractured rib on a hit from Indiana’s All-Big Ten cornerback D’Angelo Ponds that caused a fumble in the 2nd quarter. Simpson played in Alabama’s first series of the second half following a halftime x-ray that revealed the fracture, but after a three-and-out and another Hoosiers’ score, his day was finally done.
In post game, Alabama QB Ty Simpson says he fractured his rib on the hit/fumble. X-rays revealed the fracture at halftime.
— Pat Smith (@patsmithradio) January 2, 2026
Halftime X-rays revealed that Ty Simpson suffered a fractured rib in Rose Bowl
Without any semblance of a run game, Simpson has been asked to carry the Alabama offense all season long, and it’s clearly taken a toll on his body. Beyond the elbow injury and before the fractured rib, Simpson was banged up much of the year while shouldering a massive playmaking load for Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.
After waiting three seasons sitting behind Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe, Simpson finally got his shot to become the starting quarterback in Tuscaloosa this season, and he certainly didn’t waste it.
Though the year didn’t end with a national championship and instead went out with the largest postseason loss in Alabama football history, falling 38-3 to the No. 1-ranked Hoosiers, Simpson was excellent for much of the season. He finished the campaign with 3,500 yards passing and 28 touchdowns to five interceptions while completing 64 percent of his throws.
At times this season, Simpson has played himself into the first-round conversation for the 2026 NFL Draft. However, this injury and his struggles in the postseason may change that. With his stock already slipping, Simpson would need a strong pre-draft process to cement his place in Round 1. That becomes a lot more difficult if he’s spending that time rehabbing instead.
Simpson’s decision will go a long way to shape Alabama’s offseason, but if the Rose Bowl was his final game for the Crimson Tide, he went out as a fighter. That’s been the story of his season and his career.