Rams' Stetson Bennett Still Looking for First NFL Snaps

Los Angeles Rams third-string quarterback Stetson Bennett is not getting any younger when it comes to NFL years. He is 28 years old and has never taken a snap in a regular season game. In comparison, he is older than Jalen Hurts, Jordan Love, Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa.

Bennett spent six years in college. He bounced around from Georgia to junior college and then back to Georgia where he won two national championships.

Bennett is not in Athens anymore. He is in the city with the brightest lights and is the third man on the quarterback totem pole. Bennett was the emergency quarterback last season and never saw the field. He spent the season prior on the reserve/non-football illness list for reasons unbeknownst to anyone but Bennett and the Rams.

This could be a make it or break it training camp and preseason for Bennett. He needs to show he is better than Jimmy Garoppolo and win the role of the backup. This is his third shot at trying to show he belongs on the field in the event something drastic happens to Matthew Stafford.

So far, the Rams are in the genesis of their training camp, but Bennett is holding his own. He has ran with the second unit, with Stafford working on the side due to a back injury. Bennett has to make every repetition count and impress the coaches with his ability to get the ball in the hands of his receivers.

The biggest thing Bennett has going for him is that he has fans in head coach Sean McVay and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. It could be his saving grace.

LaFleur spoke highly of Bennett during minicamp.

“A ton of growth, particularly from two years ago. A lot of credit to him, working on what he needed to work on to get himself into this situation,” LaFleur said.

LaFleur said Bennett has progressed since his rookie camp.

“But a ton of credit that (Quarterbacks Coach) Dave (Ragone) too and I’ll say even Jimmy (Garoppolo) and Matthew. I think they’ve done a great job of just putting arm around him, mentoring him," LaFleur said. "What awesome two quarterbacks to learn from that have won a crap ton of games in this league. Proud would be the wrong word but for lack of a better term, proud of where he’s at and he’s just continuing to go.”

LaFleur thinks Bennett needs to take advantage of every rep he gets in practice and in preseason games.

“He needs to play just football, right? We’re out here again," LaFleur said. "We’re out playing flag football in shorts right now but I know this, he’s going about his process in a professional way each and every day to give himself the best chance when he inevitably gets his ops in August in the preseason.”