Stetson Bennett spent much of the 2023 season away from the Los Angeles Rams after being selected in the fourth round of last year’s NFL Draft.
Bennett missed the season opener with a shoulder injury and was subsequently placed on the non-football injury list.
The Rams remained tight-lipped about the specifics of Bennett’s absence, but now that he’s back with the team and participating in OTAs, general manager Les Snead has offered some insight.
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In a recent interview with News19 in Alabama, Snead described Bennett as “an exhausted human being” last year, suggesting that the former Georgia quarterback may have been burnt out after his collegiate career.
“I know this: Last year was very beneficial for him. I think he took advantage of that year away from the game,” Snead said, “You know what, he’s an exhausted human being based on everything he had done to walk on, to go to JUCO, to come back, to turn down small schools, say ‘I’m going to try to do this Georgia thing.’ To win a job, then to win the thing, and then to determine, ‘I’m going to come back.’ And when you come back, it’s really win it again or you failed. And that does take a toll on a human being, so I was jacked for Stetson to be able to take that moment and breathe a little bit.”
Bennett officially returned to the Rams in April for the first phase of offseason workouts and participated in OTAs this week.
The 26-year-old is currently the team’s No. 2 quarterback behind Matthew Stafford, with free agent Dresser Winn as the only other quarterback on the 90-man roster.
“He’s done a great job,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said of Bennett this week. “He’s got a good look in his eye. I really appreciate the way that he’s come to work. He’s been really attentive in the meetings. I think [quarterbacks coach] Dave Ragone has done a great job with the quarterbacks as a whole. His command, his ability to communicate, and Stetson’s had a couple good days, and it’s been good having him out here.”
