Stetson Bennett’s Rams redemption tour kicks off in preseason opener

Whether or not you are a fan of Los Angeles Rams backup quarterback Stetson Bennett, one thing is certain. He will be the Rams' starting quarterback in the first game of the 2025 preseason. Because he is returning for his third season, there is more than a preseason workout on the line in this one.

LA selected former Georgia quarterback in Round 4 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Since that moment, he has fought an endless uphill battle to confirm what the Rams front office saw in him. Of course, it didn't help that he stepped away from football after the end of the 2023 preseason.

But if you get over the past, Bennett has roared back to relevance this year. As the team wrestles with the best approach to navigate a course to the post-Matthew Stafford era, Bennett is perfectly positioned to solve that riddle now.

Rams football is back with a vengeance

It's just a preseason game to Rams fans. But for Stetson Bennett, it's the opportunity to confirm what the Rams saw in him, and to prove all of his critics wrong simultaneously. After all, he competes in professional football. Whether he wishes it or not, he is constantly competing.

He is competing with teammates for reps. He is competing with opponents for victory. And he is competing with other quarterbacks from the draft class of 2023 for respect and opportunities. The only path to all of these goals is to shine like the sun in Preseason Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Rams football is so back.

There are no guarantees. The same Dallas defense that struggled to contain L.A.’s offense in the joint scrimmage may not sit its starters and could look to reclaim some momentum by sending them out against the Rams’ second unit. Nobody ever said NFL opponents have to play fair.

Bennett defeated the Cowboys in the preseason in 2024 by overcoming four interceptions to throw a game-winning touchdown pass to reserve tight end Morris Forristall with four seconds remaining on the clock. Bennett ended the game by completing 24 of 38 passes for 224 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions.

That was Bennett's first performance of the season and showcased his gutsy competitiveness. While some detractors circled like buzzards around him after he tossed four picks, he hung in there to lead the team on a game-winning drive that needed 13 plays to drive the football 70 yards in just 2:48.

Don't look for similar results this year. While we won't know who is competing until game time, the likelihood of Bennett throwing to Jordan Whittington, Xavier Smith, and Davis Allen, his favorite targets from a year ago, is very real.

And he will likely have the support of RBs Ronnie Rivers, Cody Schrader, and Jordan Waters in the running game. Best of all, the Rams backup offensive linemen are a solid group, almost all of whom have the benefit of live NFL experience.

It will all come down to the 27-year-old, who has already admitted in an interview with Rams reporter Stu Jackson what a difference practice reps have made this season. And unless everyone on the team and observing from the sidelines has been spreading misinformation, Bennett is a far better NFL quarterback this season.

Time will tell. As for now, we wait and hope. And as always, thanks so much for reading.

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