Stetson Bennett is the only QB constant as LA Rams face offseason labyrinth

When it comes to LA Rams' young backup quarterback Stetson Bennett, there was not much difference between what fans saw in 2023 versus 2024. Let me explain. In 2023, the fans saw glimpses of rookie QB Stetson Bennett in training camp and preseason games. But once the season started, Bennett vanished from sight. In 2023, he needed time away from the team to sort through mental exhaustion.

That didn't sit well with Rams fans, many of whom have yet to forgive him for his absence.

In 2024, Bennett was welcomed back to the team. Once again, he had the drib-drab reports out of training camp that acknowledged he was still in the good graces in training camp. When preseason games rolled around, he was the starter in the first two preseason games exclusively. While rusty and error-prone, the competitive fierceness of Bennett would not be denied as he found ways to win both preseason games.

And much like 2023, he vanished from sight.

Let's be clear. With a quarterback room of starting Super Bowl LVI winner Matthew Stafford, and backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who had his one book of business in previous NFL Playoffs, Bennett was never going to see playing time without the unfortunate event of an untimely injury. Thus, Bennett's impact on the team in 2024 was no different than 2023. He simply stayed to train, practice his craft, and prepare for the future.

The future is now.

While unlikely that the Rams front office will leave Stetson Bennett as the last standing quarterback in the Rams roster room, his presence on the team is significant. With Matthew Stafford's current contract dispute unresolved and Jimmy Garoppolo's contract expiring, Bennett is the only quarterback who can lay his head on his pillow at night knowing that he will be a quarterback on the Rams roster in 2025.

Quite the difference from 2024, eh?

No, I'm not positioning Bennett as the heir apparent to veteran QB Matthew Stafford. I'm simply pointing out the fact that Stetson Bennett's performance in the 2024 NFL preseason has positioned him to have the potential to be a very important player for the Rams roster, both in the 2025 offseason and the upcoming 2025 NFL season.

But before I carry you across that wide chasm of discussion, let's revisit just how important Stetson Bennett's 2024 performance proved to be:

Matthew Stafford's understudy has comeback characteristics

As the Rams front office regrouped returning players and focused on patching holes in the team's 2023 roster, one thing was a bit surprising. The team, despite the uncertainty of Stetson Bennett's football proficiency after missing a full rookie season, did not address the quarterback position beyond signing veteran free agent QB Jimmy Garoppolo.

But what the team did do was reshape a coaching staff. That's right. As the team restocked the coaching staff, almost all newcomers had that magical 'quarterback whisperer' quality about them in their coaching history that was no accident nor coincidence. The Rams, often dependant upon one positional coach to develop a lackluster entourage of talented but not-highly-regarded young quarterbacks, changed their entire paradigm in 2024.

Before he ever returned, the Rams were prepared to offer him a coaching staff versed in breaking down the NFL to young quarterbacks.

Bennett's return was not met with harsh words from an incensed head coach. There were no public warning statements or hints at some form of administrative probation for the young hurler. Instead, Bennett was given the reins to the offense for preseason, with the only instructions from Rams HC Sean McVay:

"Just cut loose and enjoy it. "

HC Sean McVay

And he did exactly that.

In 2023, Bennett's preseason performance seemed to reveal a young quarterback losing confidence. His best game was his first game. By the time he suited up for Game 3, he was inaccurate and error-prone.

When he returned, he had the visage of a quarterback who was having fun. His preseason statistics fail to tell the tale. In two games, Bennett completed 41 of 69 passes for 437 yards, two touchdowns, and five interceptions. He chalked up the second-best QB performance in preseason, despite playing just two of three games. And he won both games by fourth-quarter touchdown passes. Just preseason? Sure. But preseason games are designed to implement vanilla strategies on offense and defense and let player talent be the difference-maker.

Despite getting the cold shoulder from some irate fans, Stetson Bennett was hot on the football field. Perhaps his performance did have an effect of assuring the team that he was who they thought he was, a tough-minded competitor who seemed to shine brighter as hopes for a win dimmed on the football field.

The Rams sat Stetson Bennett for Game 3 in the 2024 preseason, because he had shown enough. He proved to be effective behind a backup offensive line and with backup offensive weapons. But it was a turning point for Bennett. From that moment in time moving forward, Bennett was no longer in the spotlight. He trained off-camera, working behind the curtain. Even in Week 18, when the Rams sat starters and promoted junior varsity players to face the Seattle Seahawks, Bennett was Jimmy Garoppolo's backup.

But Garoppolo's contract is expired. Which leads to the logical question . . .

What lies ahead for Bennett in 2025?

While the attention of the LA Rams and Rams fans is trained on the starting quarterback position, Stetson Bennett is returning for his third NFL season. No, I'm not trying to position him as the next starting quarterback for the team. But I refuse to believe that the Rams football team invested so much in hiring quarterback developing coaches to relegate Bennett to an NFL equivalent of a ball boy or baseball pitching machine.

Yes, Bennett got off the horse in 2023, without explanation or public explanation. But he got back on the horse in 2024, which he did with a fierce competitive spirit and relentless effort. He impressed the team so much that they had seen enough from hims in just two preseason games. His favorite target? Rookie wide receiver Jordan Whittington (we'll talk more about him in a future article). But he also showed chemistry with speedy wide receiver Xavier Smith.

Both WR Jordan Whittington and Xavier Smith have to be seen as competing for significantly larger roles in the offense this season. And if they are moving on up the depth chart, why would the team not consider Stetson Bennett in the same light?

I get it. Why should Rams fans settle for the same old leftovers of discussing Stetson Bennett when the offseason can be filled with dining out of trade and free agency rumors? Or even the delectabled sweet treats of drafting a new rookie quarterback to coach up to take over? I can't help you there. If your heart is set on new dishes to tantalize your offseason optimism and imagination, more power to you.

But Bennett was good enough to make the 53-man roster even when the team had many reasons to part ways and look elsewhere. The Rams parted ways with veteran ILB Ernest Jones in 2024, and will part ways with veteran WR Cooper Kupp in 2025. So the front office still has some line in the sand or threshold for sticking with a player.

Bennett completed 59.4 percent of his preseason passes in 2024. He threw a game-winning 47-yard touchdown pass. He was sacked three times while throwing two touchdowns, five interceptions, and 437 passing yards. He did not blow any defense away in 2024. But he did enough, just enough, to win both games that he played. Only Dallas Cowboys QB Trey Lance, who played all three games, threw for more yards in 2024.

You may want a better set of options at quarterback for the LA Rams in 2025 behind Matthew Stafford. The reality is that Bennett is the only option at quarterback behind Stafford right now. Is that an optimal situation? Of course not. But Brock Purdy was forced into starting for the San Francisco 49ers after a series of injuries left him as the only option.

The Rams may be forced to view Stetson Bennett as their best quarterback option in 2025 if things go south. Rather than fret about that possibility, consider this: Young players get better over time. Stetson Bennett was a two-time NCAA Championship winning quarterback.

In the end, if it comes to it, he got this.

As always, thanks for reading.

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