NFL rumors: What happened to LA Rams backup QB Stetson Bennett?

When the LA Rams added former Georgia star quarterback, the team was thrilled to add a two-time NCAA Championship quarterback to the Rams roster. It was not only a position that the Rams needed to address, but the Rams front office and coaching staff were thrilled that the young man had fallen to them in Round 4.

Early reports out of OTAs and training camp sessions confirmed the Rams excitement. While a rookie who was learning a brand new brand of offense, and doing so under the pressure of the elevated level of the NFL, Stetson Bennett unveiled a wide range of football skills that blended nicely with the Rams offensive philosophy. Better yet, Bennett showed the ability to innovate if and when the play broke down.

Bennett takes a step backward in preseason

The promising reports seemed to be confirmed as the Rams preseason got underway, as Stetson Bennett had a solid NFL debut. But the pressure of being the backup quarterback to Matthew Stafford, and preparing to start preseason games for the LA Rams, seemed to take a toll on Bennett.

It's not unusual for rookies to need time to develop to the level of the NFL. And the complexity of the LA Rams offense is such that it gives quarterbacks a myriad of options in terms of reads as to the right direction to throw the football in nearly any defensive formation. But to a rookie, it's all just bells and whistles to a player who is struggling to comprehend the basics.

Desite a Game 1 loss in preseason, Bennett very much looked the part of a promising rookie NFL quarterback. But by the time of his appearance in Game 3, he appeared to be a player who was simply showing up for a paycheck. The Rams rookie quarterback completed just four of nine passes for 14 yards and two interceptions. After that performance, the LA Rams had a surprising announcement to make:

Bennett opened the season fighting a shoulder injury. and was inactive for Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks. But Stetson Bennett's rookie season took a significant turn just days after the start of the 2023 NFL season.