The Rams’ sudden shift on Stetson Bennett looks a lot less random when you zoom out.
Sean McVay said earlier this week that Bennett most likely wouldn’t see the field in the preseason. Then, almost out of nowhere, Bennett was handed the starting job for Saturday’s first preseason game. That kind of turnaround is hard to square with the way the Rams usually handle veteran players in August, which is why it raises the possibility that LA is thinking beyond just one exhibition game.
There’s a simple football reason this could matter: the Rams appear set to move forward with rookie quarterback Ty Simpson after this season. They used a first-round pick on him this year, so it’s tough to picture them giving up on that investment after only one year.
Bennett, though, is a different story. His contract expires after this season, and rather than losing him for nothing in free agency, the Rams could explore trading him during the year.
That possibility gets more interesting because the Rams already have three quarterbacks they trust. That’s more than most teams keep on the active 53-man roster, and it makes Bennett the most obvious name to move if LA decides to clear space. NFL analysts also believe the Rams are more likely than not to let him walk, which only adds fuel to the idea that a trade could be the real play.
The catch is that Bennett hasn’t had many meaningful regular-season snaps to build a market. That makes it harder for another team to know exactly what it would be getting.
Matthew Stafford is still the Rams’ starter this year, so unless he gets hurt, Bennett won’t get a real chance during the regular season anyway. That leaves the preseason as his best stage to show other teams something worth betting on.
No one in the Rams organization has said they want to move him, but the decision to let him play now could still be about positioning. If the team is thinking ahead to the regular season, giving Bennett reps in August at least gives them a chance to make him more attractive down the line.
For Bennett, a trade might actually be the best possible outcome for his NFL future. If he wants to be a full-time starter, his path clearly doesn’t run through Los Angeles. A move to a desperate team later in the season could finally give him a real shot to prove himself when the games count.
He’s shown before that he can make the most of one opportunity. That was enough for him at Georgia, where he became a legend, and the Rams may not be in position to offer that kind of runway.
Stafford is signed with the team for two more years, and the Rams just used a first-round pick on Ty Simpson. Another team, though, might be willing to take the gamble if its quarterback situation gets shaky enough.
A club in playoff chase mode could decide its current quarterback room isn’t good enough. Injuries could also force a team into the market. If either of those things happens, Bennett could become a cheap option the Rams are willing to move.
For any of that to happen, Bennett has to help create the buzz himself, and that starts with the preseason. His chance comes Saturday, when the Rams face the Kansas City Chiefs. Kickoff is set for Saturday, Aug. 15 at 4:00 pm EST.
In Other News...
Georgia Defense Is Already Sending A Message To Gunner Stockton
Georgias first fall scrimmage offered an early reminder of how much has changed on offense, and how much the other side of the ball still intends to set the tone. With Gunner Stockton leading a group that has to replace six of last seasons top seven pass catchers, the Bulldogs are sorting through a younger receiver room while trying to find a rhythm against a defense that has looked sharp throughout camp.
The most telling part so far is that the offenses growing pains are not happening in a vacuum. Georgias defense has continued to make things difficult, forcing Stockton and company to work for every clean rep as the staff evaluates new combinations and emerging targets. For an offense in transition, that kind of pressure can be useful in the long run, but it also underscores just how much the Bulldogs have to figure out before the real tests arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Scrimmage Could Reshape Key Position Battles Before Game Week
Saturdays full-pad scrimmage at Sanford Stadium arrives at a useful time for Georgia, giving the Bulldogs a live look at their first-team offense against the first-team defense before game week prep begins. For a roster with a number of unsettled spots, it is the kind of practice that can clarify who is ready for a bigger role and who still has work to do.
Carson Stockton remains the name to watch at quarterback, while Craig Dandridge and JaMarley Riddle are among the receivers trying to make their case and linebacker Zayden Walker is in the mix on the defensive side. Coaches will come away with a better sense of the pecking order after the scrimmage, and in a preseason setting like this, even one sharp showing can move a player closer to the role he wants. [Read more 🡒]