Training camp is about to put Stetson Bennett under the microscope in a way the Rams haven’t really had to before.
With Matthew Stafford entrenched at the top of the depth chart, the real intrigue in Los Angeles centers on the two quarterbacks behind him: Bennett and Ty Simpson. It may not be a classic backup battle, but it sure looks like one that could shape the Rams’ quarterback room for the next few years.
Simpson, the 13th overall pick, comes into camp with a simple assignment: keep building on the work he got in OTAs. The Rams want to see another step in his development after a spring in which neither he nor Bennett clearly separated from the other.
For Bennett, the pressure feels different. This is his fourth year in the system, and for the first time since his rookie season, he’s entering camp as the clear backup behind Stafford. Even so, the Rams didn’t see major growth from him during OTAs, and that matters because his margin for error is shrinking.
He has had uneven stretches in the past, but last summer stood out as his best showing. Bennett threw five touchdowns and two interceptions with a passer rating of 105.7, and he also guided a game-winning drive against the Los Angeles Chargers. That kind of production is part of why he still has a path to sticking around.
The problem is that the Rams changed the math when they drafted Simpson in the first round. Before that, Bennett had been viewed as someone who could grow into a long-term backup and maybe even serve as a bridge after Stafford.
Now, the team’s actions make it clear they don’t see him as a starter. They still value what he brings, though, because he knows the system and functions almost like another coach in the quarterback room.
That’s a role the Rams have leaned on before. John Wolford filled a similar lane for years, offering system knowledge even if he wasn’t someone the team could consistently count on as a starter. But that kind of value only goes so far, and the Rams are now weighing where Bennett fits on that same spectrum.
The timing adds another layer. Bennett is in the final year of his rookie contract, and the Rams want to see continued growth from a player who has now been in the system for four years. They need him to look like someone who has truly developed, not just someone who knows the playbook.
There is some roster flexibility built in, though. Because Bennett has only three accrued seasons after taking a year off as a rookie to deal with things off the field, he’ll be a restricted free agent after next season. That means the Rams would keep his rights rather than losing him outright.
Even so, the money matters. Bennett’s biggest cap hit during his rookie deal has been $1.3 million, and it’s hard to imagine the Rams paying him anything close to the numbers tied to a first- or second-round tender.
A first-round tender would cost $8.7 million, while a second-round tender would be $6.3 million. Even the lower restricted options would still run over $3.5 million.
That’s a tough sell when the Rams signed Jimmy Garoppolo before the 2025 season on a one-year, $3.05 million deal. If the team wasn’t willing to pay that kind of money for a veteran option, it’s hard to see them doing it for Bennett unless they believe he can be more than a backup in name only. Right now, he hasn’t shown he’s worth $3 million.
And that’s the heart of the issue. Through four years, Bennett hasn’t taken a regular-season snap. When the Rams rested Stafford in Week 18 of 2024, they turned to Garoppolo instead of Bennett, which says plenty about where he stood at that moment.
The ideal outcome for Los Angeles is pretty straightforward: Simpson develops into the backup this season, Bennett becomes expendable, and by 2027 Simpson is the lone backup before possibly taking over as the starter in 2028. After that, the Rams could add a low-cost veteran or draft another quarterback to develop behind him.
There is one path that could keep Bennett in the picture at the restricted free agent price: Stafford retires and Bennett remains the experienced backup. Even then, the Rams wouldn’t be locked in.
If they chose not to tender him, he could still return on a new deal, just without the team holding exclusive rights. They’ve done something similar before, bringing back Keir Thomas on a one-year prove-Beit deal after not tendering him.
That’s where Bennett stands heading into camp. His experience in the system gives him value, but the Rams still have to decide how much that value is worth.
If Simpson jumps ahead early, it could be the sign that Bennett has reached his ceiling. If Bennett shows real growth, then he may still have a place in the Rams’ future.
Either way, by the end of training camp and the preseason, Los Angeles should know a lot more about whether Bennett is still part of the plan or just another quarterback who knew the system well enough to keep the seat warm.
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