The Los Angeles Rams selected national champion quarterback Stetson Bennett out of Georgia in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but he did not take a snap for the team this season.
Bennett won the backup quarterback job with a solid showing in training camp and preseason, but then dealt with a shoulder injury and was later moved to the non-football injury/illness list prior to Week 2.
The Rams did not provide any specifics at the time of the move, and head coach Sean McVay could not say for sure if Bennett will return to the team in 2024.
“You know I don’t know that,” McVay said after the season ended. “I think that’s a conversation for another time. I think he’s doing better, but I wouldn’t be in a position to answer that accurately right now. That’s probably a long way away from me being able to answer that.”
With Bennett unavailable, the Rams initially relied on Brett Rypien as their backup quarterback behind Matthew Stafford this season. Rypien finished the team’s Week 8 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys after Stafford injured his thumb and then started the following week against the Green Bay Packers.
After a pair of lackluster performances, the Rams brought in Carson Wentz to serve as Stafford’s backup for the remainder of the year.
Wentz played three snaps in the team’s blowout victory over the Arizona Cardinals and then led L.A. to a win in the regular-season finale against the San Francisco 49ers.
Wentz said after the game that he had a lot of fun in his first start since Week 16 of the 2022 season, and thanked the Rams for giving him the opportunity.
Who will be Rams backup quarterback in 2024?
If Bennett is unable to return to the Rams in 2024, the team could look to re-sign Wentz or bring in another veteran quarterback to back up Stafford. L.A. could also select a quarterback in the mid-to-late rounds of the upcoming NFL Draft.
One thing that is for sure though is that Stafford will be the team’s starter in 2024 as both he and McVay confirmed that the soon-to-be 36 year old will be returning for his 16th NFL season.
