What happened to Stetson Bennett? Sean McVay drops update on Rams QB

Stetson Bennett was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft after an excellent college football career. He won two national championships as the starting quarterback of the Georgia Bulldogs. Despite his elite success in college, the Rams drafted him as a developmental project in the later rounds due to his lack of physical gifts.

His rookie season didn't go at all as he likely hoped that it would. He ended up spending the entire year on the reserved or injured list due to an undisclosed illness unrelated to football. The Rams have been vague about his status and haven't given many updates on where he currently stands.

Head coach Sean McVay spoke with the media following the Los Angeles Rams' loss to the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs. He was asked if he expects Stetson Bennett to return to the team next season to potentially serve as a backup for Matthew Stafford.

McVay responded (via Gary Klein on X):

"You know, I don't know that. I think that's a conversation for another time. I think he's doing better but I wouldn't be in a position to answer that accurately right now."

His response stays with the trend of the Rams being extremely vague about Stetson Bennett. It's unclear at this point what his future holds, but he appears to at least have a chance of returning to the team next season.

In his absence, the Rams signed Carson Wentz to serve as their primary backup. While Stafford is expected to be the starter again next year, their backup role appears unsettled.

Is Stetson Bennett a bust?

Stetson Bennett

Despite his massively successful college football career with the Georgia Bulldogs, Stetson Bennett was never considered to be a top quarterback prospect in the 2023 NFL draft. He lacked many of the physical tools that most teams are looking for in a quarterback prospect and had some issues off of the field as well. This resulted in him dropping all the way to the fourth round despite winning two consecutive national championship games.

Due to the fact that he fell to the later rounds, this avoids the idea of him being labeled a bust, even if he never plays a game for the Los Angeles Rams. Quarterbacks selected at this stage of the draft often profile as developmental quarterbacks with limited upside. Had he gone towards the top of the draft, the bust label would be much more in play.