Stetson Bennett IV’s rookie season has reached an unexpected roadblock, with Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay revealing that the team has made the surprising decision to place the first-year quarterback on the reserve/non-football illness list.
McVay’s announcement comes three days after the Rams’ 30-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks to open the 2023 season. Bennett was inactive for the contest.
Speaking to reporters, McVay said that the decision to put Bennett on the reserve list wasn’t related to a right shoulder injury he had been dealing with last week. The 37-year-old Super Bowl-winning head coach wouldn’t elaborate on why Bennett was placed on the list.
“Out of respect for him and the situation, I’m going to leave all the specifics and particulars in-house,” McVay said, according to ESPN’s Sarah Bishop. “And I want to be able to do that out of respect for that situation, so I’m not going to really have any follow-up information or anything that I’ll give in that regards.”
Los Angeles selected the two-time College Football Playoff championship-winning quarterback in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. It was expected that the 25-year-old Bennett would serve as the primary backup to fellow Georgia product Matthew Stafford — a role that now belongs to Brett Rypien, with Bennett set to miss at least the Rams’ next four games while on the reserve list.
[ESPN]
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.