Stetson Bennett was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, he missed his first season, and since then he hasn’t needed to play in meaningful games (he’s had some fun preseason moments) in 2024 or 2025, and it begs the question, what is the Rams’ plan with Bennett for 2026?
Sean McVay was recently talking with ESPN’s Peter Schrager, and they spoke about the possibility of the Rams adding Kirk Cousins to backup Matthew Stafford and in that same exchange, Sean McVay had
a fairly lukewarm endorsement of Bennett, but mostly focused on wanting L.A. to add Cousins of Jimmy Garopollo:
“Really happy for what’s Stetson’s done and the evolution he’s had, but I think it is really important to be able to have somebody behind Matthew with the approach that we take in the offseason and into training camp that can operate our system at a high level, you’re never gonna get anybody quite like Matthew Stafford, but guys like Kirk Cousins and Jimmy Garropollo, I have a ton of belief in both of those guys, and I’d be really excited about either one of those guys if we were fortunate enough to have them on our roster.”
What McVay didn’t say about Bennett
Perhaps if McVay was asked the same question again he would’ve spent more time assuring the fan base that Bennett is ready to run L.A.‘s offense, but that’s not what McVay said. Instead, he expressed that Bennett has shown a lot of growth, the Rams are happy with his development, but they want a veteran arm for training camp and in the unfortunate circumstance that Stafford misses time.
McVay did not say that Bennett was integral to the “all-in” approach that the Rams seem to be taking in 2026, and if Bennett cannot help the Rams now, then how can they afford to keep him on the roster in an “all-in” year?
Going into this season, the Rams do not need to draft or add a quarterback for the long-term, or the heir to Stafford, but they may want to grab someone who can help the team win now, and not a QB who will is more hope and prayer than a player the Rams have confidence in if their number were to be called upon.
Perhaps the Rams value Bennett more than L.A.’s head coach articulated in this latest interview, but with the NFL Draft coming up, and with the Rams clearly looking for an upgrade at their backup position while Bennett enters the last year of his rookie deal, it wouldn’t be surprising if L.A.‘s quarterback room looks different in 2026 than it did in 2025 when Bennett was on the depth chart.
