Stetson Bennett Eyes Rams QB2 Role as McVay Signals Offseason Progress

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay has publicly praised backup quarterback Stetson Bennett‘s development, telling reporters he has seen “tremendous growth” from the second-year signal-caller. The endorsement is not widely embraced by a segment of the Rams fanbase.

Bennett is exactly the kind of developmental quarterback he wants behind Matthew Stafford – mobile, creative, capable of making plays off-schedule. “He can create off-schedule, he can beat you with his legs and his arm,” McVay has said of Bennett’s skill set. The “tremendous growth” comment extends that line of thinking into the current offseason.

Why McVay’s Endorsement is Polarizing

Bennett – a fourth-round pick out of Georgia in the 2023 NFL Draft, selected 128th overall – arrived in Los Angeles with back-to-back national championships on his résumé and immediate questions about whether his game would translate at the NFL level.

He showed enough in the 2023 preseason to generate optimism, completing 36 of 62 passes for 347 yards with a fourth-quarter comeback win over the Raiders, before being placed on the non-football illness list in mid-September and missing the entire regular season.

McVay acknowledged at the time that there were “some things that I want to be able to keep in house” regarding Bennett’s absence. This offseason marks Bennett’s first full return to the program since that shutdown, and McVay confirmed he has been fully participating.

Not all Rams fans are reassured. Bennett’s size – listed around 5-foot-11, 190 pounds – and a preseason stretch that included correctable but real turnover issues have kept a vocal segment of the fanbase skeptical. McVay addressed the ball-security concerns directly, calling the mistakes “correctable” while noting teammates “kept believing in him,” but skeptics remain unconvinced.

What This Means for LA’s Depth Chart

McVay has also stated the Rams would “leave all options on the table” at quarterback. The stakes are high. With Jimmy Garoppolo suspended for the first two games of the regular season, McVay has framed the preseason as an audition for Bennett to claim the temporary QB2 role.

The staff needs to see “more body of work” before entrusting him with that responsibility. LA drafted Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 13, and he has a good chance to start the season in the backup role.