Stetson Bennett could provide Rams with much-needed quarterback depth

Even though he led the Georgia Bulldogs to back-to-back national championships, quarterback Stetson Bennett entered the NFL with relatively little fanfare and low expectations. 

The Los Angeles Rams, however, think they see something in him and liked enough about him to use a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on him. He got his first taste of NFL action on Saturday night against the Los Angeles Chargers and had a very strong showing despite the Rams' 34-17 loss.

He had a bit of a rocky start with a couple of near interceptions on his first series, but settled down after that and led all three Rams scoring drives. 

Bennett played the bulk of the game, completing 17-of-29 passes for 191 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. 

“It’s the first NFL game you’re playing in, and you’re going to be a little nervous and try to make a play when sometimes plays aren’t there,” Bennett said on Saturday night via the Associated Press. “But then as it started to groove, we started calling plays and started to settle in.”

Despite his success in college, Bennett was passed over early in the NFL Draft because he is very undersized for the position, does not have the strongest arm, and is already 25 years old and will turn 26 during his rookie season. That makes him older than a lot of veteran quarterbacks that already have years of experience in the NFL. All of those factors greatly limit his potential upside. He is simply not a quarterback that a team is going to look at in the draft process and think they are landing a long-term franchise quarterback.

That does not mean there is no role for him in the NFL. 

What Bennett does well is lead a team, he plays with passion, he is fearless, and he has a toughness about him on the field that coaches tend to love.

When you put all of those things together with his physical limitations you have the makings for a perfect long-term backup quarterback in the NFL. And that might be where Bennett's future ultimately sits. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

There are a lot of quarterbacks that have made lengthy careers for themselves (and very lucrative careers) by being solid, dependable backup quarterbacks that can get their team a win or two in spot start duty. 

That is exactly what the 2023 Rams need. They are hopeful that a healthy Matthew Stafford can re-solidify the starting spot, but there is enough doubt around his age and health that they might need somebody else to step in and start some games this season. Not having a dependable backup ruined their chances a year ago when Stafford went out of the lineup. Perhaps Bennett can be the type of player that can fix that problem.