Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead has revealed that quarterback Stetson Bennett took a break from football last year due to exhaustion after winning back-to-back College Football Playoff national championships with the Georgia Bulldogs.
While Matthew Stafford was and remains entrenched as the Los Angeles Rams' starting quarterback, the team last year used a fourth-round draft pick on two-time College Football Playoff national championship-winning quarterback Stetson Bennett. The former Georgia Bulldogs star was expected to be Stafford's backup during his rookie season and the foreseeable future.
But Bennett was missing in action during the majority of his rookie campaign, leaving observers with more questions than answers. He sat out of the season opener with a shoulder injury. A few days later, he landed on the non-football injury list. At the time, the Rams were tight-lipped about the decision to change Bennett's roster status.
This week, Rams general manager Les Snead finally offered some insight into what transpired with the quarterback last season. Snead suggested Bennett was burned out after back-to-back college football titles.
"I know this: Last year was very beneficial for him. I think he took advantage of that year away from the game," Snead told Alabama's News 19.
Snead explained that Bennett had endured a grueling journey to stardom, from walking on at Georgia to ultimately leading the Bulldogs to a pair of national championships. The mental and physical toll of competing at such a high level took its toll on Bennett.
"You know what, he's an exhausted human being based on everything he had done to walk on, to go to (junior college), 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."
Snead emphasized that the Rams fully supported Bennett's decision to take a step back. The team had firsthand experience with the mental and physical strain of competing at a championship level, having appeared in the Super Bowl in 2018 and 2021.
"The responsibility of the QB, and for our sake, we saw what taking a break, giving some guys a break from the game to get refreshed. I call it to get bored and fall back in love with the game you grew up playing in the backyard," Snead said.
Bennett has since returned to the Rams and is competing for the backup role behind Garoppolo. Rams head coach Sean McVay has praised Bennett's work ethic and command of the playbook.
"He's done a great job," McVay said Tuesday. "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."
With Bennett back in the fold and vying for a starting spot, the Rams now have a solid depth chart at quarterback. They hope that Bennett's experiences, both on and off the field, will make him a valuable asset to the team in the seasons to come.
