Rams News: Should Stetson Bennett or Jimmy Garoppolo Back Up Matthew Stafford?

Will Los Angeles keep them both on the roster?

The Los Angeles Rams enter the 2024 season ready to push the narrative forward from their surprise run to the playoffs a year ago. They have moved things around to give themselves a more well-rounded team, including at the quarterback position.

Veteran Matthew Stafford is still the starter for Los Angeles but the backup spot is a little murky. The team signed Jimmy Garoppolo to back him up but also has second-year player Stetson Bennett available this year.

Bennett was away last season due to his mental health, something he thanked the Rams organization for allowing him to deal with. But he is back now and ready to take his spot on the roster.

Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur spoke highly of Bennett, praising him for being a sponge so far this offseason.

"It's been a pleasure working with him," offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. "I'm not going to get too much into specifics obviously, but he's in a good place and he is out here. He's done a great job being a sponge. ... He's come to work every single day focused with the intent of getting better. And that's all you can ask these guys. Just if their intent is right, which Stetson's is right now, that's all you can ask. And it's definitely shown."

When the Rams drafted Bennett, they saw him as a potential successor for Stafford before his leave. If he can perform well, that dream may still be alive. After all, Bennett did win back-to-back titles in college before entering the NFL.

As for Garoppolo, he is the more proven player but he could be a valuable trade chip for the Rams. Every year a team ends up needing a quarterback after an injury so the Rams could always look to move him at the trade deadline or before.

Garoppolo will likely be the backup to Stafford for now but Bennett is the wild card here. His growth and development will allow the Rams to be flexible with Garoppolo, giving them more options to use in building out this team.

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