The Rams are heading into their second preseason game with one of their most interesting decisions still hanging out there: what, exactly, they want to do with Stetson Bennett.
They face the New Orleans Saints at 4:00 pm EST on Saturday, Aug. 22, and the clock is ticking on whether Bennett will get another look or spend the night on the sideline. Last week, the Rams gave him the first two series before turning the rest of the work over to rookie quarterback Ty Simpson. This time, they could do the same thing again - or they could shut Bennett down for the entire game.
Head coach Sean McVay said earlier this week that he wanted to see how practice went before making the call. Those practices are in the books, but the Rams still haven’t locked in a plan.
The reality is McVay appears to have two paths in front of him. One is to repeat what happened in the opener, with Bennett starting and Simpson handling the bulk of the snaps. The other is to keep Bennett out altogether, which was nearly the outcome last weekend anyway.
Simpson is going to get the most work no matter what. That’s standard preseason behavior for rookie and unproven players around the league. But Bennett still has something to play for: another chance to show he belongs as the Rams’ backup this season.
That said, Bennett may not even need to take the field to land that role.
If the Rams sit him, it could actually point in the other direction. A decision to protect him from extra snaps would make the most sense if they already feel good about where he stands. If Bennett had not secured the backup job, the Rams would likely want him sharing the workload more evenly with Simpson.
Bennett has spent the last few seasons as the third-string quarterback behind Matthew Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo. In preseason action, Garoppolo never saw the field because he was already established as the backup, and Bennett handled the snaps as the third quarterback. Bennett is not as proven as Garoppolo was, but he’s still much more established than Simpson, even after Simpson’s strong showing in the Rams’ first preseason game.
So if Bennett sits on Saturday, it may not be a bad sign at all. It could mean the Rams already know what they have.
Simpson, of course, still has a chance to change the picture if he puts together another good outing. But Bennett being held out would not automatically mean he’s falling behind.
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Georgia QB Battle Is Heating Up As Stetson Bennett Turns Heads
Stetson Bennetts first preseason run with the Rams has only sharpened the lens on Georgias quarterback situation back home. Bennett started and played the first half of Los Angeles second exhibition game, then put together a lively showing with his arm and legs, while rookie Ty Simpson handled the second half with far less success. For Georgia, the larger takeaway is less about Bennetts box score and more about how familiar the quarterback room still feels as fall camp rolls on.
At Georgias second fall scrimmage, Gunner Stockton remained the starter, but the real movement appears to be behind him, where Ryan Puglisi and Ryan Montgomery are pushing for the backup job. The offense also looked sharper than it did a week earlier, a useful sign as the Bulldogs keep sorting out depth at the most important spot on the field. Bennetts success in the NFL only adds another layer to a room that already has a clear No. 1 and a tightening race underneath him. [Read more 🡒]
Stetson Bennett Still Faces One Big Rams Problem After Strong Showing
Stetson Bennett gave the Rams a little reminder of why he keeps hanging around the conversation in their second preseason game, turning in a strong showing at a time when every snap matters. For a quarterback trying to keep a foothold in the league, preseason is often less about style points than proving he can stay composed, and Bennett did enough to keep his name in the mix.
Still, the long-term picture in Los Angeles is not built around him. The Rams used a first-round pick on Ty Simpson, who is viewed as their likely quarterback of the future, and Bennett is playing with a contract that expires after this season. If he keeps stacking solid outings, he can at least make the decision more complicated for the Rams, or for whichever team might be watching if he reaches the market. [Read more 🡒]
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Pollacks point was less about celebration than accountability. After feeling Texas was overhyped in 2025, he said this group should be judged by whether it wins and not by excuses if it falls short, which gives the Longhorns a much sharper spotlight heading into the fall. For Georgia supporters still sizing up a conference foe, it is the kind of preseason confidence that sounds good right up until the games start mattering. [Read more 🡒]