How Stetson Bennett can win back his role on LA Rams roster

When the LA Rams selected Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett with the 129th pick in Round 4 of the 2023 NFL Draft, the team believed that they were investing in a future quarterback who would handle the backup QB role. While his OTAs, training camp and even preseason experience were either promising or normal for a rookie quarterback, the 2023 NFL season was anything but satisfying.

But that is not to say that the window is closed for the young man who beat all odds as a walk-on for the Geogie Bulldogs football team to find success in the NFL. Certainly the slope to a full NFL career has grown a bit steeper, and the chances of wowing the coaching staff are a bit lessened in 2024. But the team selected Bennett for his audacity, his fortitude, and his competitive spirit. In the end, it will be those traits that earn his way back onto the team's roster.

The Rams need more than a guy who can make throws, and add yards by scrambling out of the pocket. To be the quarterback of the LA Rams football team, even as the perennial backup, that player must know how to lead others. And leadership begins with action.

Even as fans rush to judge Bennett a detriment to the team, I don't think that his teammates view him in the same light. Nor do the coaches of the team. If the Rams wanted to part ways with Bennett, they had every opportunity of doing so prior to now. The fact that the team is continuing to remain open to Stetson Bennett's return and chance at earning his place on the roster once more is not just kind, it's good business sense.

The LA Rams are a team that would rather exhaust all options before parting ways with a player. We know that OC Liam Coen was tasked with getting WR/TE Jacob Harris and WR Tutu Atwell more opportunities in their second season with the team. Atwell carved out a role in the offense. Harris, unfortunately, did not.

So, how can Stetson Bennett reclaim his spot on the roster?

How Stetson Bennett can win back his role on LA Rams roster

1. Be present coachable and attentive
2. Shrug off bad plays to regroup instantly

Be present coachable and attentive

The first step to reclaiming his spot on the team is to show up and be a model citizen. That means embracing the grind, and accepting the fact that it's the hard work invested today that pays off in solid performance dividends in the future. And from all of the training camp reports from 2023, Bennett knows the way to deliver across the board.

But one thing has changed for the young quarterback. In 2024, he is no longer an NFL rookie. But by the fact that the team has 11 draft picks to spend, and a host of roster slots to fill, we know that there will be many rookies on their way this season. Those rookies will come all at once, and many will be visiting the city of Los Angeles, California for the first time in their lives.

Having a veteran who gives them the time of day, helps them find the right resources, and perhaps helps them locate a favorite restaurant or two is the type of investment that helps to bind the team together. Much of the strength from the rookie class of 2023 is not just their shared passion for the game of football, but the fact that they genuinely enjoyed each other's company. They were often spotted out at any number of events as a group.

That holds true to any group of young men who forge themselves into a team. It's the shared time and experience that make strangers into acquaintances, and acquaintances into friends. When they become friends, there is an instant upgrade of trust, and a new sense of responsibility that develops among teammates. It is then that players truly have each other's backs.

That does not just happen organically. It needs someone to start the process. Right now, QB Stetson Bennett can become the catalyst for his teammates by showing up and being there for them.

Shrug off bad plays to regroup instantly

Looking back on the 2023 NFL season, when did things turn so sour? In his first preseason game, his performance in the pocket seemed quite promising against the Los Angeles Chargers. Bennett completed 17 of 29 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown, while running two times for two yards. Of course, the Rams do not play known starters in preseason games, so the performance of Bennett throwing to depth players is even more impressive.

By the second preseason game, Bennett appeared to be more mortal. He completed 15 of 24 passes for 142 yards. This time, however, he did not throw a touchdown. Instead, he threw his first interception. Part of the reason for a less impressive outing was the fact that the team did not play rookie WR Puka Nacua in Game 2. That limited the already vanilla offense to one less playmaker.

In the third and final preseason game, Bennett had a forgettable outing. He completed just four of nine passes for 14 yards and two interceptions. It was his worst showing in Horns, but was it a result of injury, or something else? We know that Bennett was listed as having injured the shoulder of his throwing arm in the days leading up to Week 1. But was there something more?

It seemed as though Stetson Bennett grew less comfortable, rather than more comfortable, in the pocket as the preseason wore on. Of course, there was a huge difference when throwing to starters in training camp versus competing in preseason games with the second string players. But that is part of the process with this football team.

Now that he has endured the trial by fire, Bennett can prove to the coaches and to himself by shrugging off bad plays and games and simply committing to focus on the next opportunity. Many have concluded that the team is better off without Stetson Bennett as a distraction. But that's the thing. He never was a distraction. He removed himself to find the care and professional assistance away from the team.

Now he is back. And from where the Rams roster now stands, he has a vital part to play for this team if only for the first two games of the season as the primary back up as veteran QB Jimmy Garoppolo serves his two-game suspension. The Rams have a vested interest in Stetson Bennett to succeed. that means a lot for the sake of the team's chances in 2024.

He has one year's worth of OTAs, training camp, and preseason games under his belt. And he has found the strength to get back into the fray and work himself hard to get back into football-playing shape. He deserves the chance to reclaim his spot on this team.