Former Georgia Bulldogs QB Stetson Bennet will always be a legend in Athens, but his rookie season in the NFL didn’t go as planned last year and there has been speculation about his professional future.
Bennett was selected at No. 128 overall in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, but his rookie campaign took a turn when he was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list just three days after the team’s first game. He was on the list for an undisclosed reason, not relating to an injury on the field, and remained out for the entirety of his rookie year.
Last season, Rams coach Sean McVay did not reveal why Stetson Bennett was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list, but did note that the situation was “bigger than football.”
The situation surrounding the former Georgia Bulldogs QB was a mystery.
“I’m not going to have any follow-up information or anything that I will give in that regard,” McVay said when asked about Bennett last year in an article for CBS Sports. “I really hope that you can please respect my wishes and regards to keeping that in-house. I understand you have a job to do, but there are certain things that are a little bigger and a little more important than the particulars and the specifics. We want to keep it in-house, and that’s where I want to leave it please.”
Bennett’s absence resulted in the team promoting Brett Rypien from the practice squad to the 53-man roster after Week 1 to back up Stafford. The Rams then released Rypien on Nov. 7, and a day later they signed Carson Wentz to serve as the No. 2 quarterback.
Rams Provide Significant Update On Former Georgia Bulldogs QB Stetson Bennett
Rams general manager Les Snead said the plan is to have Bennett participate in the team’s offseason workouts (per the Los Angeles Times), a positive update for the 26-year-old. Snead added that the QB is currently working out in Dallas.
Bennett was seen working out with trainer Mason Hays earlier this month
While it’s clear the Rams are still giving the former Georgia Bulldogs QB a shot, it’s unclear how seriously they are considering Stetson Bennett for a roster spot in 2024.
So far this offseason, Snead and head coach Sean McVay had not given a definite answer on Bennett’s status with the team. In February, McVay said they would contact Bennett “at the appropriate time.”
“You figure out where are you at and is this something that we feel like is best for him and for our football team to bring him back into this ecosystem?” McVay said last month (via USA Today). “Those will be conversations that we will have. I think once we have a better idea of what we’ll do with that, then that’ll give clarity.”
The former Georgia Bulldogs QB led UGA to back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022 and holds the school record for the most passing yards in a single season with 4,127. It will be interesting to see if Stetson Bennett can find a place in the NFL.