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When the Los Angeles Rams used the 128th pick of the 2023 NFL Draft on Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett, some believed the two-time national champion could be the heir apparent to Matthew Stafford.
Less than six months later, Bennett was off the team entirely while dealing with an issue that was ‘bigger than’ football according to coach Sean McVay.
Now Rams general manager Les Snead has revealed a bit more about what Bennett was dealing with and his future with the organization.
“I know this: Last year was very beneficial for him. I think he took advantage of that year away from the game,” Snead said in a recent interview with News 19 in Alabama. “You know what, he’s an exhausted human being based on everything he had done to walk on, to go to JUCO, to come back, to turn down small schools, say ‘I’m going to try to do this Georgia thing.’
“To win a job, then to win the thing, and then to determine, ‘I’m going to come back.’ And when you come back, it’s really win it again or you failed. And that does take a toll on a human being, so I was jacked for Stetson to be able to take that moment and breathe a little bit.”
Snead’s explanation sounds reasonable. Burnout is a very real thing. Though it’s rare to see an NFL player given that much grace by a team.
Several fans suggested Bennett was dealing with alcohol-related issues after a public intoxication charge in January of 2023. However there was never actually any evidence provided to support those claims.
Stetson Bennett Is Back And The Rams Are Happy To Have Him
Bennett returned to the Rams in April for the team’s offseason workouts, and it appears McVay and Snead welcomed him back with open arms.
“The responsibility of the QB, and in our sake, we saw what taking a break, giving some guys a break from the game to get refreshed — I call it, to get bored and fall back in love with the game you grew up playing in the backyard,” Snead said.
McVay claims the re-acclimation process is going well.
“He’s done a great job,” McVay said on Tuesday. “He’s got a good look in his eye. I really appreciate the way that he’s come to work. He’s been really attentive in the meetings. I think [quarterbacks coach] Dave Ragone has done a great job with the quarterbacks as a whole. His command, his ability to communicate and Stetson’s had a couple good days and it’s been good having him out here.”
Is Stetson Bennett the future of the quarterback position for the Rams? Only time will tell.
But it’s looking a lot more likely than it did six months ago.