Rams OC puts fans on notice to be impressed by 3rd year QB Stetson Bennett

Unlike some NFL teams that have been dipping into young quarterbacks in the NFL Draft annually, hoping to find someone who can stick around and step up to lead their team, the quarterback position was not an area that the Los Angeles Rams addressed in the offseason. The Rams ended 2024 with quarterbacks Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Stetson Bennett, and that is where the team picks right back up at the beginning of 2025.

At some point, the team has to reboot at quarterback. Veteran starter Matthew Stafford is under contract through 2026, but both he and the team acknowledge the need to revisit his deal to refine such things as guaranteed money. Veteran backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is back, but he is on another one-year deal. Theoretically, that is due to the team's uncertainty over Stafford. Should Stafford not be ready to start in 2026, the Rams have an opportunity to extend Garoppolo with a contract more representative of that for a starter.

Then there is that third guy, the one that fans have never quite warmed up to. He is third-year quarterback Stetson Bennett, a young quarterback who showed some promise in his rookie season but rapidly regressed. And after a rocky rookie preseason, he had to step away from the game for a year.

It was his choice, a matter of self preservation.

When he returned, he truly was starting over. Still, he was a completely different player. His passion for the game had returned, but at the expense of his football-playing readiness. In the 2024 preseason games, he was a feisty quarterback who led the team to two wins. He was the runner-up in terms of passing yards with 437 passing yards, but threw only two touchdowns to five interceptions.

For many fans who were already queued up to dislike him, five interceptions merely fueled their set-in-stone opinion. And that ire continues to fuel calls from some websites to outright release him sooner rather than later. But the Rams roster does not support that option. With senior veterans in the quarterback room in both Matthew Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo, Bennett is the young buck in the room, and the team needs him to be there.

Rams OC Mike LaFleur was asked to comment about QB Stetson Bennett at the 10:20 mark in the embedded video (below). What LeFleur had to say about the youngest quarterback on the roster may surprise some fans:

So, what did the LeFleur have to say about his young quarterback when asked:

"A ton of growth, particularly from two years ago, a lot of credit (goes) to him, working out what he needed to work on to get himself to this situation. A ton of credit to (QB Coach) Dave Ragone, too. And I will say even Jimmy (Garoppolo) and Matthew (Stafford). I think they have done a great job of just putting an arm around him and mentoring him. What awesome two quarterbacks to learn from that have won a ton of games in this league. So proud of where he is at and just continuing to go.

He needs to play just football, right? We are out here again. We are out playing flag football in shorts right now, but I know this: He is going about his process in a professional way each and every day to give himself the best chance when he inevitably gets his ops in August in the preseason."

Rams OC Mike LaFleur

If you are among the group that wants the Rams to part ways from Stetson Bennett as quickly as possible, this is likely the last thing that you want to hear. But if you see everyone on the Rams roster as deserving and worthy of cheering for, then this is music to your ears.

Players evolve, and the amount of work that players get impacts their development. Stetson Bennett stepped away from football after the 2023 preseason. So, 2024 was not just picking up from where he left off. In many ways, Bennett regressed. But he stayed with the team throughout the 2024 NFL season. So, how does that impact his development in 2025?

Forget what you think you know about Bennett. He will be a different player this season. And by different, I mean better. He will be a more discerning, a more disciplined, and a more effective quarterback. He is already projected to show up in preseason games, so he is expected to be third in a depth chart of three players.

But that is not a step backward. Look for him to close the gap. Even now, as the Rams have no clear successor to Stafford, the Rams continue to coach up Stetson Bennett. And Bennett is the lone quarterback on the roster who is benefiting from the wisdom, experience, and knowledge of both Matthew Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo.

While some fans see no value in everything that the Rams coaches and players have poured into Bennett, the team has a different view.

Bennett won't start in 2025. He is unlikely to see any action. But he is improving, perhaps more quickly than many realize. Rams fans will see his progress on full display in the preseason. Will there be a night and day difference? Perhaps not. Keep in mind that even as he will be throwing against players on other teams that may not make their rosters, he is throwing to and protected by depth players on the Rams roster.

The coaching staff is pleased with Stetson Bennett. That's enough for me, for now. Hopefully, that works for you as well.

As always, thanks for reading.

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