Latest NFL rule change will magnify Stetson Bennett's value to Rams

While the LA Rams appear to be willing to accept second-year quarterback Stetson Bennett back into the fold, Rams fans who have shared their views on social media, forums, and message boards have overwhelmingly remained quite cool to the idea. Whether it's based on presumed reasons for his absence from the active roster from 2023, or simply a dislike for his addition from the 2023 NFL Draft that had never dissipated, Bennett has yet to warm the hearts of many.

But perhaps this could add to the reasons why fans may finally succumb to cheering for the guy.

Jumping ahead to the 2024 NFL season and the composition of the initial 53-man roster, unless the Rams draft a quarterback prospect, the team will likely carry starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, and have a decision to make as to how to best carry Stetson Bennett in 2024. If all conditions remain the same, will the team carry Bennett on the active roster? With so much confusion and controversy over his 2023 status, he may be pushed to the teams practice squad for the 2024 NFL season.

Now here's why that could prove to be an advantage.

Per NFL Insider Andrew Siciliano, the NFL rule has changed in term of activating an Emergency Third Quarterback from the practice squad. In 2024, an NFL team will be permitted to activate that quarterback an unlimited amount of times over the course of a season:

So how does that help out the Rams?

We know that the Rams prefer to carry just two quarterbacks on the active roster. For 2024, that is almost certainly going to be Stafford and Garoppolo. But if the Rams place Stetson Bennett on the practice squad, they can activate him each week to fill in as the Emergency Third Quarterback role, and never have to devote a roster slot in the process.

That even opens up the possibility of facing the first two games of the season with Stafford on the active roster, Garoppolo under suspension, and still elevating Bennett from the practice squad in case of emergency. Other quarterbacks would undoubtedly attract attention and would be at risk of being signed off the Rams practice squad. But I don't believe that Bennett, amidst his recent turmoil, is nearly as attractive to other teams.

This could prove to give Stetson Bennett a unique opportunity to provide value to the team without forcing them to make a difficult decision. If so, then perhaps the luck of Stetson Bennett, and the LA Rams, have changed for the better.