Giants chaos over Jones was never an option for Rams over Stetson Bennett

The Los Angeles Rams are one of 32 NFL teams. And while many fans may not always agree with the decisions and steps taken by the team's front office, there are many examples of how the Rams have opted to take the high road. But the best and most recent example of how the LA Rams acted admirably during a player's personal struggles is exemplified with how they handled the matter with rookie quarterback Stetson Bennett.

But to truly appreciate the way the Rams handled a difficult and confusing situation, it's important to compare and contrast the team's handling to another difficult situation at the quarterback position. While the matter did not involve a period of absence from the team, or from professional football, the saga of New York Giants young quarterback Daniel Jones was a glaring example of what not to do.

The conflict of New York Giants starting quarterback Daniel Jones did not start in 2024, but it certainly came to a boiling point this year. While not their fault, the win-loss records of NFL teams are almost automatically attributed to the starting quarterback. Unfortunately, the Giants have not had much success in 2024. To be fair, the team has only had one winning season with Jones under center.

Jones was drafted sixth-overall in the 2019 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. With that early selection comes a hefty rookie salary, but a lot of pressure as well. That pressure to perform and produce is significantly amplified with any New York quarterback, whether for the Jets or the Giants.

And in the eyes of the public, Jones was not cutting the mustard.

The Giants decision to bench Daniel Jones was an expected decision. But what came after the decision was both shocking and unnecessary. The team directed Daniel Jones to hold a press conference announcing his demotion. It was one of the worst abuses of an NFL player I had seen, and was totally unnecessary.

As part of the aftermath, Jones requested his outright release from the team. And so, he became a free agent, and now reportedly has opted to sign with the Minnesota Vikings for 2024.

How the Rams did things differently

While rookie QB Stetson Bennett was never a starter and was never paid to perform as one, his decision to remove himself from professional football for the entirety of the 2023 NFL season was perhaps far more pejorative. He simply walked away from the game, and we only discovered a year later that he was mentally exhausted.

That decision left the team shy of an effective backup quarterback in 2023, until the team signed veteran QB Carson Wentz. And it would have been entirely understandable for the team to cut Bennett as a result of his unexpected absence. After all, that was the reaction of many fans.

But the team chose another option, a more humane outcome to a difficult situation. The team focused on adding quarterback-friendly coaches to the staff, communicated respectfully to and about Stetson Bennett throughout his absence, and welcomed him back with open arms when he returned.

No, the team did not lavish him with outlandish praise or promises. He was very much held accountable to his actions. But the team did nother to hinder his opportunity to reclaim his role. And now, Week 13, he continues to be a promising and active player on the Rams roster. And that has allowed his standing to improve.

There were no pushbacks by the team. There were no humiliating press conferences mandated by ownership of the team to humble Bennett to the public-at-large. Will this tale end with a happily ever after? Perhaps, perhaps not. But the Rams allowed Stetson Bennett to maintain his self-respect and self-dignity. Even if that does not pan out with Bennett, it will for some player(s) on the roster.

There are good reasons why so many players rediscover their love of football while playing for the Rams. The reputation of the team is not something that appears from thin air. It is built brick-by-brick by individual actions that have amassed over time. And yes, regardless of how fans approved or disapproved over the team's handling of Stetson Bennett, I'm convince that players strongly supported the team's methods.

Between the Giants or the Rams, I suspect that free agents would be more prone to listen to the Rams offer.

As always, thank you for listening.

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