Two-time national champ Stetson Bennett IV delivers in Rams roster fight: ‘More mature and comfortable’

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Throughout his football career, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett IV has taken the road less traveled. He started as a walk-on at Georgia in 2017, spent time playing football at a community college, and then transferred back to Georgia two years later, where he eventually led the Bulldogs to back-to-back national titles.

The quarterback formerly known as Mailman has already had a career to remember. Bennett etched himself into college football lore inside SoFi Stadium 943 days ago in his final collegiate game by leading his team to a 65-7 win in the College Football Playoff National Championship against TCU. He is still the only quarterback in the CFP era to win two national titles as a starting quarterback.

Still, the former No. 128 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft is heading into Year 3 with high expectations. The next step for him and his football journey is getting onto the field in a meaningful NFL regular season game — something he hasn’t done during the first two years of his career.

🏈 Reliving Stetson Bennett’s college career

Bennett showed flashes of why he can be a serviceable backup in 2025 during his team’s 31-21 win Saturday over the Dallas Cowboys. Bennett finished 16 of 24 for 188 yards and threw two touchdown passes while being decisive and quick with his decision making — something that makes him a viable option to make the 53-man roster to open the season.

“Stetson was awesome,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “The amount of reps he’s been able to get, whether you go through the spring – especially in training camp. If there is one positive from Matthew (Stafford) not being in there, it’s both Jimmy (Garoppolo) and Stetson have been able to get some reps. The overall command, I thought he got through progressions well today.”

Since leaving Georgia, Bennett’s career has been a rollercoaster. Bennett spent the entire 2023 season on the non-football injury list (NFI), later citing that his mental health was a factor in why he didn’t play. Bennett opened last season as Stafford’s backup, then spent most of the year on the practice squad after Garoppolo was reinstated from his two-game suspension due to violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

This is Bennett’s third season getting starter-level reps in the preseason. Bennett has shown significant signs of improvement dating back to his preseason stint last year. In his two appearances against the Cowboys and Chargers in 2024, he threw just two touchdowns and tossed five interceptions.

“I’m more mature and comfortable with the system,” Bennett said. 

The storyline of training camp this year for the Rams has been the health of Stafford. He has been dealing with an aggravated disk in his back and has yet to practice during training camp, but his return to the practice field could be imminent. McVay said after the game that Stafford went through a workout on Saturday and had no limitations, which could mean fewer reps for Bennett and Garoppolo moving forward.

Bennett has QB1 as someone to lean on

Bennett may have been the quarterback to get Georgia over the hump less than four years ago, but before him, Stafford starred as the starting quarterback at Georgia in the late 2000s. Stafford became the first No. 1 overall pick out of Georgia in 56 years when the Detroit Lions selected him with the top pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Since that moment, Stafford has become one of the most accomplished signal callers of the modern era. It’s that kind of football pedigree that makes Stafford an example for Bennett and others in the quarterback room. It also doesn’t hurt that Stafford is also a Georgia alumnus.

“I don’t think there can be a better guy in the room than Matthew,” Bennett said. “He’s seen it all and been through it all, highs and lows. Just the way he goes out and handles each day … I try and learn as much from him and apply it the best I can.”

Will Bennett make the Rams’ 53-man roster?

Bennett has been splitting a majority of the reps at quarterback in training camp with Garoppolo. Because McVay does not traditionally play the starters in the preseason, the door was open for Bennett to make a strong impression with final cut day less than three weeks away.

Thirteen teams carried three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster last year. With how the start of training camp has gone for Bennett, he has a strong chance to open the season on the 53-man roster especially with Stafford missing the first few weeks of training camp. 

However, it appears that Garoppolo has the inside track — to at least start the season — as Stafford’s backup. Garoppolo signed a one-year deal to return to Los Angeles earlier this offseason and has extensive experience as a backup dating back to the start of his career with the New England Patriots and as a starter for the San Francisco 49ers.

Still, it’s throws like Bennett made in the first quarter against the Cowboys that could make the backup competition interesting. Bennett placed a deep ball down the sideline perfectly on fourth-and-6 to Xavier Smith, which resulted in a 39-yard gain. 

Los Angeles scored its first points of the game three players later.

“Yeah, for sure,” Bennett said on if that throw was a confidence builder. “What a heck of a catch.”

The opportunity for Bennett to make the 53-man roster is on the table if he continues to show signs of improvement throughout the rest of training camp and the preseason. If that throw — and moments from this weekend were any indication — his football story may not be over.