Simpson, Bernard Meet with Steelers

NFL teams meet with almost every prospect who attends the NFL combine in Indianapolis, with the Pittsburgh Steelers being no different. Former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson told reporters on Friday that he met with the Steelers and had a glowing review of new Pittsburgh head coach Mike McCarthy.

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"Coach McCarthy's the guy, man,” Simpson said. “It was funny, we'd go in there, ask a couple questions, and we were just talking ball, going back and forth, talking about past concepts, talking about protection, talking about situations.

“And it was cool to see all the quarterbacks he's worked with, with Dak [Prescott] and Aaron Rodgers, and then situations that's come up in his career that he asked me about what I thought about it. And it was really cool because we were just going back and forth. And by the time that we were finished, it felt like five minutes just because of how much fun we had.”

Simpson admitted during Friday's media availability that he still has areas he can improve on, but proved there was no lack of confidence in his abilities, despite only having 15 games as a starting quarterback. He also revealed more details about the meeting with McCarthy and Pittsburgh, discussing two-minute offense, footwork, and what he would do in certain scenarios, such as four receiver sets.

"Whether I got their question right or wrong, it was still cool to realize like, ‘hey, this is what had happened, this is what the answer I was looking for, this is why’,” he said. “And we would just bounce ideas back and forth to each other. Like, a guy like that who has had success in the league for a long time and is well respected. Any time that I get to sit in an interview and talk to him and just soak up all that knowledge. It's everything I could ask for.”

Simpson wasn't the only former Alabama player who revealed on Friday that they met with the Steelers, with former Alabama receiver Germie Bernard also spending time with McCarthy and the Pittsburgh coalition in Indianapolis.

"It was great. He talked a lot about my family," Bernard said to reporters. "It really stuck out to me because I'm really family-oriented. I want to go to a program where I can be very personable with everybody and have connections with everybody. I really loved it."

Bernard later revealed that he and Simpson are roommates at the combine, allowing the two to continue to develop the connection that they found on the field this past season. Could we see an Alabama pairing in the NFL with the two promising rookies?

"I would love to be with Ty. That was one of my great friends at Alabama. We're roommates right now," Bernard said. "We've been talking about the different interviews and stuff that we've been doing.

"I'm just really proud of everything he's been doing. Hopefully, I get the chance to play with him. He's a great quarterback."

The Steelers are potentially in the quarterback market with the status of Aaron Rodgers in flux, with the four-time MVP contemplating retirement again. Pittsburgh also likely needs a weapon opposite DK Metcalf, with the Steelers' second-leading receiver last season being Calvin Austin III, who caught 31 receptions for 372 yards and three scores. Last season at Alabama, Bernard had a career year, hauling in 64 receptions for 862 yards and seven touchdowns.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.