Looks like it will be Stetson Bennett, and not Jimmy G, in Rams preseason games

The LA Rams have a bit of a quandary this preseason. While the Rams love to keep significant role players out of preseason games to avoid the risk of injury, how does the team view this season? While the typical answer would be for the team to sit both starting quarterback Matthew Stafford and backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, the 2024 NFL season throws a bit of a curve ball at the team.

LA Rams backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will sit the first two weeks of the 2024 NFL due to a league-imposed suspension. That will push the responsibility of backing up Stafford during the first two games of the 2023 NFL season onto second-year quarterback Stetson Bennett. But as we had indicated, the Rams typically sit the backup veteran quarterback in preseason to avoid injury.

And with Jimmy Garoppolo suspended for two weeks to open the season, would the Rams try to supercharge him with some preseason work to tie him over until he can return to the active roster to prepare for Week 3? Those questions hovered over the Rams quarterback room, until now. Finally, at the latest press conference, a member of the media posed the question to HC Sean McVay over how he plans to manage Jimmy G through preseason games.

And he replied matter-of-factly. Unless Jimmy Garoppolo asks to compete in preseason games, Coach McVay will likely sit the veteran throughout the preseason.

That means that the lion's share of work will be handled by backup quartterback Stetson Bennett. And it also means that fans will likely see a little bit of work from reserve quarterback Dresser Winn.

So the instant reaction is: Is this a good thing or a bad thing? After all the Rams did not draft a young quarterback despite a large number of talented prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. Are the Rams content with their quarterback depth for the 2024 NFL season? And what about the growing number and volume of Rams rumors that suggest the team may need to shop for a new starting quarterback in 2025?

Rams likely to carry 3 quarterbacks in 2023

While we can speculate about the matter, the practical logic for the LA Rams roster for the 2024 NFL season is to ensure that the quarterback position has ample depth at all times. And with the team having been so dependant on who was available in the NFL Free Agency market in mid-season in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, there is no logical reason for the team to approach this season by getting cute or stingy at the quarterback position.

With Jimmy Garoppolo serving a two-game suspension to open the 2024 NFL season, the Rams must carry QB Stetson Bennett on the initial 53-man roster for the first two weeks. Even after Jimmy Garoppolo returns to the roster after his suspension, don't look for the team to shed Bennett to make room for Garoppolo.

I believe that the Rams have learned their lesson about two few quarterbacks on the roster going forward.

So how are the quarterbacks doing in Rams HC Sean McVay's perspective? He shared his thoughts on the status of the quarterback position at the onset of training camp. In his initial training camp press conference, Coach McVay was tasked with giving updates over the relationship and negotiations with veteran QB Matthew Stafford.

He discussed Stafford for a significant portion of the press conference.

But he also talked about all three of this tope quarterbacks at the 12:18 mark in the embedded above video.

"Here is what I will say is, [I am] super impressed with obviously Matthew in the offseason. I thought Stetson (Bennett) made tremendous growth. I thought Jimmy Garoppolo looked like the guy that I have seen playing at a really high level and that gives me confidence."

Coach McVay

Hearing that Bennett has made 'tremendous growth,' in the offseason is a huge public statement of praise over his young second-year quarterback. But more than anything, it's a vote of confidence that Bennett is on the right track this year.

Bennett shows 'tremendous growth this offseason

It was always going to be a bit awkward and uncertain for both the team and Stetson Bennett early in the 2024 NFL season. After all, the team did not benefit at all from rookie Stetson Bennett's first NFL season after his three preseason games. And it was clear from the regression that Bennett had on full display that there was more going on than what met the eye.

Bennett played a solid game in his first preseason competition against the Los Angeles Chargers. But as the team moved weapons from preseason competition to sit out until the regular season, like WR Puka Nacua, Bennett showed up with diminished production in subsequent preseason games. In the third preseason game against the Denver Broncos, Bennett's performance was alarmingly disappointing, both to the fans and himself.

He was assigned to the Rams IR/NFI list two weeks later.

While Bennett is essentially starting over this season, he returns with all of the OTA, mini-camp, and preseason experiences from the 2023 NFL season, both good and bad. While his football related skills at running the Rams offense may have diminished over the span of time during his absence, Bennett arrived to the Rams football team knowing full well what to expect.

And clearly that made a difference in his progress this offseason:

Ultimately, the bottom line is that the Rams football organization did not sever ties with Stetson Bennett. Nor did the team take steps to make his return more difficult or complicated by drafting a young quarterback to compete with Bennett for the next three NFL seasons. The team signed veteran QB Jimmy Garoppolo to the roster for one season, knowing beforehand that his arrival to the roster would necessitate an additional backup quarterback on the roster to handle those duties in Weeks 1 and 2 this season.

Stetson Bennett is that additional backup quarterback. The Rams have a vested interest in ensuring that he plays well this season. I, for one, believe that he will.

And here's what Rams can expect from preseason Stetson Bennett

With the depth at key positions, particularly on the offensive side of the football, on the Rams roster, Stetson Bennett should have more weapons and protection to work with in 2024 than he had at his disposal in the 2023 Rams preseason games. While that is not intended as a rationalization of his regression last year, it should set the stage to see what Bennett can truly do at running this Rams offense.

While the fans are unlikely to see TE Colby Parkinson, RB Blake Corum, or even WR Demarcus Robinson in preseason competition, Rams fans may get glimpses of TE Hunter Long, RB Zach Evans and Boston Scott, and WRs Xavier Smith and Tyler Johnson.

And the Rams will almost certainly play offensive linemen Logan Bruss, A.J. Arcuir, Blake Larson, Justin Dedich, and hopefully even Beaux Limmer.

So with plenty of talented weapons and formidable blockers, Bennett will have the weapons all around him to manage, and not try to carry, the offense this preseason. And with more talent on the football field, that will make a huge difference.

What does Coach McVay expect from his second-year quarterback. Would you believe 'just cut it loose and enjoy it.'? That's right. Sean McVay just wants his quarterback to go out there and have fun:

"Command, control, being able to get in and out of the huddle. I mean, there is so much that goes into the quarterback position in regards to, just calling the play, getting up to the line of scrimmage, making sure that everybody is set, sending any sort of motion, and then being able to just play and trust your instincts after the snap. But want to be able to see that, and I want to see him (Stetson Bennett) be able to go enjoy his opportunity to go compete.

When I have seen him at his best, he is having fun, and that is really consistent with all players. And so just go cut it loose play and enjoy it. And I thought we felt that in the first preseason game a little bit last year when he was kind of flashing and doing those kind of things. So that is what I am looking forward to seeing."

Rams HC Sean McVay

With that as his stated expectation from Bennett, it's clear that Sean McVay has mellowed a bit. But why not? This remains preseason games. The scores are recorded, but don't matter. Preseason stats are recorded in post-game box stats, but do not count in terms of NFL records. In fact, it's very difficult to reseason preseason game statistics after the fact.

So let's all take LA Rams HC Sean McVay's advice. Let's just have some fun. No pressure, just enjoyment. In the end, many of the decisions about who will and will not remain on the team's initial 53-man roster are already made. And that means that no matter how well or poorly players perform in preseason games, it may not be enough to change their fate after all.

Thanks for reading.