Although the Los Angeles Rams have embraced their youth movement, the team will still be relying on its veteran players to carry them offensively.
The emergence of Puka Nacua has given head coach Sean McVay’s passing game new life, but the pillars of the offense remain Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp. When healthy, Stafford and Kupp are one of the best quarterback-wide receiver duos in the league though injuries have slowed them down in recent years.
In Stafford’s case, he was able to stay upright for most of the 2023 season though he did miss a game due to a thumb injury he suffered against the Dallas Cowboys. This offseason, Los Angeles addressed their backup quarterback position by signing Jimmy Garoppolo to a one-year deal after he was released by the Las Vegas Raiders.
However, general manager Les Snead provided a positive update for Stetson Bennett, via Gary Klein of the L.A. Times:
Bennett missed the entirety of his rookie season after he was placed on the reserve/non-football illness for undisclosed reasons. Bennett was originally expected to be Stafford’s backup after Los Angeles moved up in the fourth-round to take him in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Without Bennett, the Rams cycled through multiple backup quarterbacks including Brett Rypien and Carson Wentz. Rypien’s lone start came in the loss against the Green Bay Packers, while Wentz’s only start resulted in a victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
It remains to be see if Los Angeles plans to carry three quarterbacks on the final 53-man roster, but Bennett at the very least should be a practice squad candidate assuming he is past whatever issue was plaguing him last year.
Contract details of Jimmy Garoppolo’s deal with Rams
Garoppolo’s time in Las Vegas was short-lived and his release was expected after the new regime benched him during the second half of last season. Garoppolo found a new home with the Rams where he has a chance to rehab his value under McVay.
Although Garoppolo will be suspended for the first two games of the 2024 season, he was still able to earn a reasonable deal. Garoppolo’s contract has a base value of $4.5 million with incentives that can bring it up to $12 million. The incentives are not known at this time, though he seems unlikely to earn the full amount unless Stafford suffers a season-ending injury.
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