Los Angeles Rams QB Stetson Bennett Unlikely To Play This Season

Los Angeles Rams rookie quarterback Stetson Bennett has been away from the team since the beginning of the season, and it doesn't seem like he'll be back any time soon.

The Los Angeles Rams are suddenly dealing with questions under center as quarterback Matthew Stafford could miss extended time with a thumb injury.

Before the season, it seemed like the Rams had a clear plan for such a scenario. They selected Stetson Bennett, who just led the Georgia Bulldogs to back-to-back national championships, in the fourth round of April's draft with the expectation that he would back up Stafford come the regular season.

Unfortunately, that plan fell apart rather quickly. After an up-and-down preseason performance, the Rams mysteriously placed Bennett on the non-football injury list without much of an explanation. Almost two months later, and it's still not clear exactly why Bennett has been away from the team. 

Bennett during a preseason game in August / USA Today Sports

What is a bit more clear is the fact that Bennett probably won't be back with the Rams this season. Coach Sean McVay didn't completely shut down the possibility, but certainly didn't sound optimistic on Monday.

"I'm not ready to say that he won't be back with us at all this year, but it's probably less likely than it is likely he would be," McVay told reporters.

For a more positive update, McVay added that Bennett is "doing well" despite being away from the team. Some interpreted McVay's previous update in September as Bennett dealing with off-field issues, but this latest update implies that isn't the case.

“There are certain things that I think are a little bit bigger and more important, and out of respect for the particulars and the specifics, (I) want to be able to keep it in-house,” McVay said in September.

The No. 128 pick in April's draft, Bennett previously took the college football world by storm. He began his career by walking on at Georgia in 2017 before transferring to a junior college, then back to Georgia and walking on again. He then worked his way up to eventually become the starter and left the Bulldogs as a program legend.