Could Matthew Stafford's Soreness Provide Stetson Bennett With an Avenue to Start?

Could Matthew Stafford's being sidelined during training camp provide Stetson Bennett with the opportunity to start at quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams?

NFL training camps are underway as teams from all across the league report to their respective facilities to prepare for their 2025 regular season. As the return of football grows even closer, a handful of storylines have flooded the headlines already.

One story that has caught the attention of many is the Los Angeles Rams quarterback, Matthew Stafford, who has been sidelined thus far with reported back soreness. Stafford, a 37-year-old veteran, is entering his 17th season in the league and has seen an increasing number of medical ailments over the latter years of his career.

Despite optimism from the Rams' staff about Stafford's return, fans and analysts have begun to grow concerned with the possibility that the Super Bowl LVI champion could miss some time during the 2025 regular season.

The growing concerns have sparked the question among some fans, "Could this be Stetson Bennett's opportunity to start?"

The short answer is no. Even if Stafford were unable to perform at any point of the regular season, the Rams would likely turn to veteran signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo and would only call on Bennett in the most dire of situations.

But while all signs point to Bennett entering the season as QB3 for the Rams, it is hard to ignore how vocal the organization has been in their support and belief in the young quarterback. Los Angeles offensive coordinator Mike LaFluer recently provided a glowing report of Bennett's progress and mentioned how he is "right on track".

Bennett is entering his third season with the Rams organization after a fourth-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. Like Stafford, the quarterback is scheduled to become a free agent in 2027, while Garoppolo is on just a one-year deal with Los Angeles through 2025.

The avenue for Stetson Bennett to take the field as the Rams' starter in 2025 remains fairly bleak. But then again, the avenue for the quarterback to become the Georgia Bulldogs starter, win two national championships, finish as a Heisman Trophy Finalist, and be the highest drafted quarterback of the Kirby Smart era appeared just as unlikely at the time...