With quarterback injuries piling up around the league, the Los Angeles Rams have a small problem that could turn into a useful opportunity: Stetson Bennett has become a real trade candidate.
The Rams do have depth at quarterback, even if it’s mostly unproven depth. Bennett and Ty Simpson were in a backup battle that never produced a clear runaway winner, but Bennett has held the No. 2 job through the first two games while Simpson has stayed in the emergency QB3 role. The edge for Bennett comes from familiarity - the Rams trust him more because he knows the offense better than Simpson does.
That matters now more than ever. The Giants are likely down Jaxson Dart for the season after Monday Night Football.
The Bears are dealing with the possibility of being without Caleb Williams for a stretch, and they could also be missing backup Tyson Bagent because of a concussion. Washington will be without Jayden Daniels for a few weeks after a dislocated elbow.
Minnesota quarterback Kyler Murray is also dealing with a concussion.
For a Rams team with a quarterback who already knows the system, that kind of league-wide chaos raises a simple question: should Bennett be available?
The Giants make the cleanest case. They are the only team dealing with a long-term injury at quarterback, and their Monday night outing only reinforced how shaky the position looks right now.
Jameis Winston went 11-for-27 for 111 yards against the Rams. His 40.7 completion percentage was the lowest in any game in which he has thrown more than 15 passes, and his 37.7 passer rating was the worst he has posted since 2021 and the second-lowest of his career.
New York will try to build a plan around Winston, but the recent results haven’t been encouraging. He is 2-7 in his last nine starts, including 0-2 last year with the Giants, and he has thrown 14 touchdowns and 14 interceptions over that stretch. In seven starts in 2024, his -.04 EPA per play ranked 27th out of 32 qualifying quarterbacks.
That’s why Bennett is at least worth a look for a team like New York. He’s not the flashiest option, but he is younger than Winston and offers some athletic ability similar to Dart. He may not match Dart’s mobility, but he can make plays with his legs, which Winston no longer can.
The list of quarterback options the Giants must explore includes Derek Carr, Jimmy G, JJ McCarthy, Dillon Gabriel, and Stetson Bennett. None of those choices are ideal. The point is simpler than that: any of them could help keep a team competitive.
There’s also the Rams’ own long-term calculation. Bennett is in the final year of his rookie deal before becoming a restricted free agent.
Because he took a year off, he has only three accrued NFL seasons. Even if Los Angeles brought him back on an original-round tender, the cost would be more than $3.5 million, which is more than the Rams paid Jimmy Garoppolo before the 2025 season.
That price tag is part of why a trade discussion makes sense. Bennett has value because he knows the offense, but how much is that worth if the Rams view Simpson as the future?
The Rams drafted Simpson with the 13th overall pick, and he looked good in preseason work. If Bennett were moved, Simpson could take over as Stafford’s backup instead of sitting behind him as the emergency option.
The Rams clearly value experience - that’s a big reason Bennett has been Stafford’s backup through two weeks - but keeping him in that role isn’t necessarily helping Simpson’s development. If the Rams wanted a veteran insurance policy, Garoppolo could be an option again.
The other side of the equation is the market. Bennett hasn’t played meaningful regular-season snaps, so no team is likely to pay a Day 2 pick.
The best the Rams might do is a Day 3 pick swap or a future Day 3 selection. Before roster cuts, Los Angeles got a 2028 seventh-round pick for tight end Mark Redman.
That may not sound like much, and it might not be enough for the Rams to part with him. But with quarterback injuries spreading across the NFL, it’s at least something they should test.
The Rams didn’t draft Simpson 13th overall to leave him buried behind Bennett forever. If Stafford is expected to keep playing for a few more years, Bennett probably isn’t the long-term answer anyway.
Simpson is the future. Los Angeles doesn’t have to force the issue, but with the market at quarterback thinning out fast, it makes sense to see what Bennett could bring back.
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