Former Bama QB May Earn Less in NFL After Rejecting $6.5M NIL Offer

Former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson may take a discount in the NFL compared to what he would have made had he stayed in college. 

Simpson, a projected late first- or early second-round pick in this week’s NFL Draft, previously turned down $6.5 million to transfer to Miami. 

On an episode of the podcast See Ball Get Ball With David Pollack that was released on Friday, Simpson said he considered the Hurricanes’ offer, given the money the program offered. 

His fringe draft status means he could take a pay cut in the NFL compared to Miami’s offer, depending on where he ultimately lands. The 6-foot-1 quarterback would have to be selected in the first 35 draft selections for his salary to match or exceed Miami’s offer, according to Spotrac. 

“I think the last offer was definitely one that I just had to sit down and consider, because it would have been life-changing money,” Simpson said. “It would have made me the highest-paid player in college, and it was something to where I was like, I can’t just ignore this. I have to sit down and think about it. That’s how I am, I don’t want to do anything sporadic. I want to sit down and think it all out, and it really just came down to how I wanted to be remembered and what I want to do.”

Simpson said he took Miami’s offer to former Alabama coach Nick Saban, who originally recruited him to Tuscaloosa for advice. Saban convinced Simpson to declare for the NFL Draft. 

“Take the money out of it, take the rounds out of it, what do you want to do next year?” Saban asked Simpson. 

“Without a doubt, without hesitation, I said, ‘I want to play professional football.’ And he was like, ‘Well, there’s your answer.’” 

A Growing Trend

Simpson wouldn’t be the only player to enter the professional ranks on a discount. Colts quarterback Riley Leonard recently told The Athletic he made more at Notre Dame thanks to his NIL deals than he has so far with the Colts. For context, Leonard’s Colts salary is roughly $1.1 million, according to Spotrac. He was a sixth-round pick in the 2025 draft.  

“I’m definitely making less with the Colts,” Leonard said.

NIL is starting to keep basketball players from going pro immediately, too. 

On Sunday, Connecticut freshman Braylon Mullins decided to return for his sophomore season despite being a projected first-round pick in June’s NBA draft. Mullins hit the game-winning shot against Duke to send the Huskies to their third Final Four in four years. 

Mullins previously told FOS he was waiting until after the season to explore NIL opportunities off his big shot. It appears they were enough to keep him in school another year.