Aug 9, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett IV (13) leaves the field after the game against the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Rams' Pleasant on the Growth of Stetson Bennett

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Jared Feinberg | Last updated Aug 17, 2025 9:00 AM ET

It's been a great start to the preseason for the Los Angeles Rams. After a dominant Week 1 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, the Rams battled cross-town rival, the Los Angeles Chargers, wire-to-wire. The result was a thrilling last-second touchdown for the win, bumping the Rams to a 2-0 record with hopes of finishing out unbeaten next weekend.

The man of the hour was quarterback Stetson Bennett, who enters his third year in the league having shown outstanding development in what is a crucial summer for the former two-time national champion.

Aubrey Pleasent sounds off on Bennett's growth

Instead of head coach Sean McVay, assistant head coach Aubrey Pleasent addressed the media Saturday night following the thrilling 23-22 victory. It was an opportunity for the pass-game coordinator, who called the defensive plays, to showcase what he can do in charge of the team and as the key representive for the Rams in post-game activities.

Pleasent could be a head coach someday. For now, he's earning that opportunity in Los Angeles with McVay. Following the win, Pleasent sounded off on Bennett's growth, saying that the communication, body language, physical and mental growth have been key in the third-year passer's latest work.

“We talk about communication, verbal and nonverbal, right?" Pleasent said. "And that means a lot, especially as a leader, and you can see through his body language, his disposition, and his continued steady state. He’s had a lot of physical, mental, and, I’ll say, spiritual growth as well.”

Bennett was resilient in Saturday's win. Some questions that needed to be answered about how the former Georgia Bulldog would respond in late half or game situations, specifically the two-minute offense. Plus, how would Bennett respond to a bad interception or turnover like he threw earlier in the game to a Chargers defensive lineman?

Those questions were answered, as Bennett showcased outstanding toughness and poise late in the game, especially on the game-winning drive where he threw a game-changing first down to Brennan Presley before firing his go-ahead score to Tru Edwards with just seconds remaining.

With the Rams having questions at quarterback, Bennett has shown he could be a potential spot start in a pinch if Matthew Stafford or Jimmy Garoppolo were to miss time with an injury. Pleasant's comments on Bennett's growth are accurate as Los Angeles looks to complete an unbeaten preseason next week.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Rams on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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