Rams QB Stetson Bennett Shines in Preseason Debut

The former Georgia quarterback saw his first NFL game action on Saturday.

Former Georgia quarterback and two-time national champion Stetson Bennett made his Rams preseason debut on Saturday, playing almost the entire game against the Chargers. Rams backup Brett Rypien played three series to start the game before head coach Sean McVay turned to Bennett for the rest of the game.

In his debut, Bennett completed 17 of 29 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown, although the Chargers beat the Rams, 34-17. The game was played at SoFi Stadium, on the same field where Bennett led Georgia to a blowout win over TCU in the CFP national championship game to cap the ’22 college season.

Stetson Bennett fires it in for a TD on his first drive! @StetsonIV

📺: #LACvsLAR on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/bBFpXewtKp pic.twitter.com/QTM0twMeql

— NFL (@NFL) August 13, 2023

The Rams selected Bennett in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, believing he has a chance to find a role in the NFL. The rookie quarterback will begin the season third on the Rams’ depth chart behind Matthew Stafford and Rypien.

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After the game, McVay praised Bennett for his performance.

“I thought there was a lot of good opportunities for him to be able to learn from, and you could see some of the things that excite us about him,” McVay said, via Rams reporter Stu Jackson.

Coincidentally, former TCU quarterback Max Duggan also played in the game for the Chargers. Despite Duggan’s playing the entire second half, the rookie completed just two of three passes for 19 yards in the game.