QB Stetson Bennett has a lot to prove in 2025, and here's why he will

Whenever the conversation about the Los Angeles Rams turns to the quarterback position, the topic inevitably includes veteran starter Matthew Stafford, backup Jimmy Garoppolo, and some future rookie quarterback who the team deems worthy of becoming Stafford's successor. In many cases, third-year quarterback Stetson Bennett is left out of the discussion completely.

If you Google Rams 53-man roster, you will see that almost all Rams websites discard Stetson Bennett altogether, instead believing that the team will run the entirety of the 2025 NFL season with just two veteran quarterbacks. While I respect and find many Rams sites to be on point with observations, I'm never shy about playing the contrarian. And when it comes to the Rams' depth chart at the quarterback position, I don't see the Rams going that thin.

Have we so quickly forgotten that since winning Super Bowl LVI, Matthew Stafford has suffered serious injuries in the past three seasons? In 2022, the team shut him down due to a bruised spinal cord. In 2023, he suffered an injury to the thumb on his throwing hand and miraculously did not need to be shut down that season for surgical repairs. In 2024, he suffered a rib injury that hampered his production, although he would only sit out the final game of the season.

While Jimmy Garoppolo has plenty of valuable NFL experience, his track record in terms of durability is not exactly stellar.

In the face of those variables, why would the Rams choose to go ultra lean at the most important position on the entire team? I don't think the team is willing to cut so close to the bone at the quarterback position while other positions continue to carry an excess of players.

But rather than argue based on balancing out the roster, let's focus on the fact that Stetson Bennett is returning for his third NFL season, and that he showed promise in the 2024 NFL preseason.

Why Bennett is more than a camp body

It's only natural to view quarterbacks on other teams as intriguing and potentially productive performers on the Rams roster. Let's not ignore the fact that young QB Stetson Bennett had the benefit of the entire 2024 NFL season under their tutelage. Unlike the 2024 NFL season, in which Stetson Bennett underwent a reboot to his football career, he is a willing participant who is eagerly returning to the Rams roster in 2025.

The Rams did not draft a quarterback. They did not even sign a rookie quarterback after the draft. To bypass two key onramps that allow the team to add young quarterbacks, the Rams have also given a huge vote of confidence to the quarterbacks currently on the roster. And that includes young quarterback Stetson Bennett.

No matter what the team does from here on out, they have placed their chips on Stafford, Garoppolo, and Bennett to be their quarterbacks in 2025.

The Rams have struggled to patch holes at the quarterback position in 2022 and 2023. For the first time since winning the Super Bowl, the quarterback position seemed settled and stable last season. Until the team formally drafts a quarterback successor to Stafford, I can't see the team parting ways with Bennett. If they stuck it out in 2024, when he was still shaking off the rust of his year-long absence in 2023, they won't jettison him this season.

But is he worth the roster spot?

Stetson Bennett can lead this offense to victory

The Los Angeles Rams selected Stetson Bennett in Round 4 of the 2023 NFL Draft with the 128th overall pick. At the time, Bennett was considered the eighth-ranked quarterback of the draft and was awarded a grade of 5.94. He was dinged for his size, standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 192 pounds. While a pocket passer, Bennett has respectable speed, clocking at 4.67 seconds in a 40-yard dash.

It's no wonder that Georgia Bulldog fans still love him. He led the team to two consecutive national college football championships. While he did throw seven interceptions in each of his final two seasons, he completed 495 of 741 passes for 6,990 yards and 56 touchdowns over that period. He also ran 113 times for 464 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final two college seasons.

Since his last season competing in college football occured in 2022, it's easy to overlook that high-octane production. But can that translate to the NFL?

In the first preseason game of his NFL career, Stetson Bennett completed 17 of 29 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers. The rest of his preseason games showed regression. But in 2024, Bennett returned. He completed 24 of 30 passes for 224 yards and one touchdown for the win against the Dallas Cowboys. He followed that up with a 17 of 31 pass performance for 213 yards and a touchdown for the win against the Los Angeles Chargers. He threw five interceptions in the preseason, too.

While many Rams fans were eager to shed Bennett, the Rams opted to keep him around and kept him on the 53-man Rams roster. Bennett completed passes to the likes of rookie WR Jordan Whittington and WR Xavier Smith, giving them the opportunity and production to make the roster. Now, Bennett is fighting for a roster spot of his own.

Sure, other quarterbacks may appear to be more intriguing. But Stetson Bennett was the second-ranked NFL preseason passer in 2024. He is the most familiar young quarterback with the Rams' offense, coaches, and players. And because he is entering the third year of his four-year rookie contract, he is still a bargain.

Will the Rams face tough decisions to pare down to a 53-man roster this year? Absolutely. But don't be so quick to exclude Stetson Bennett from the roster so the team can carry five running backs, only to feature one all season long. This team needs adequate depth at the quarterback position now more than ever. If and when the team drafts a rookie successor to Matthew Stafford, that could trigger the team taking a different direction.

As always, thanks for reading.

Here are other recent Rams articles that you will enjoy