Former University of Georgia QB Stetson Bennett, in his purest form, is controversial. That shroud of love-him-or-hate-him appreciation from football fans, even those who cheer for the team that he plays for, has followed him throughout his college and carried over to his professional football career. And yet, he, and he alone, is the quarterback who had the Georgia Bulldogs to become two-time NCAA football champions.
And yet, he is underappreciated. At least, until he isn't.
The Rams fans are not warm and fuzzy about Stetson Bennett just yet. And the truth of the matter is that may not be until he is under center in a game that means something, and he wins the thing. As of right now, that is unlikely to happen in 2024.
What is happening in 2024 is the fact that he will be under center, again, for the LA Rams in their third and final preseason game. And so far, despite the turnovers, he has been the NFL's most prolific passer. Not only does his 437 passing yards lead the NFL in two preseason games, but his two touchdown passes come in at number two, only behind former Rams QB Brett Rypien who has tossed three TD passes in the preseason in 2024.
It is Stetson Bennett who has thrown to propel two of the Rams' preseason wide receivers to land among the NFL's Top 5 preseason receivers. Of course, rookie WR Jordan Whittington leads the field with 11 receptions and fourth-place with 126 receiving yards. But the team also boasts WR Xavier Smith among the Top 3 receivers, with 9 receptions. Smith has 67 receiving yards in two games.
Someone has to be getting the football to them. So why do so few tout Bennett's talent as well as cite his rusty debut with the team? Does the fact that he was completely away from football get swept under the rug so easily?
In the 2023 NFL preseason, Stetson Bennett began with an impressive performance in which he completed 17 of 29 passes for 191 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. His subsequent two games showed regression. So far in the 2024 NFL preseason, Stetson Bennett had the opposite trajectory. In Game 1, he completed 24 of 38 passes for 224 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. In Game 2, he completed 17 of 31 passes for 213 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Is the third time the charm?
The team's first two games in the regular season (during QB Jimmy Garoppolo's suspension) would certainly be a bit more comfortable for some fans if he puts up an error-free performance in Game 3 against the Houston Texans. Based on what we have seen so far, that is certainly the way he is trending. And that is despite Bennett facing a mixture of backups and starters from opposing teams in preseason games so far. (I.E. The Chargers played 3-year veteran CB Asante Samuel Jr. in Game 2 against the Rams.
And so, Game 3 of the 2024 NFL preseason is a huge crossroads for the underestimated Stetson Bennett. If he fails to improve, every nay-sayer and critic will rush to social media to celebrate his struggles, in some weird belief that trying to shame a guy for competing in the sport that he loves somehow enriches their own lives.
But if he does well? Silence. Or some form of rationalization that it's only preseason, which means that it doesn't really count.
Stetson Bennett has the chance to deliver something to HC Sean McVay that he has never experienced with the LA Rams. With a win in Game 3, the Rams will have their first three-win preseason, and first perfect preseason record, since McVay took over in 2017. So why are so many rooting against the guy?
There is a third option. Cheering for a guy who has withstood about as much adversity as any young player has faced in the pursuit of an NFL career, and he is still standing. In fact, despite the lack of appreciation, he leads the NFL in passing yards over two preseason games.
Stetson Bennett is most certainly underappreciated. At least, he is for now. But he had this same experience with the University of Georgia before leading the football team to two consecutive NCAA College Football Championship Titles.
Perhaps that is why the LA Rams organization stands so resolutely behind the guy. Fans seem to see what happened, and insist that is what will always be. The Rams see what he has been capable of in his past, and envision the possibilities of what he may become.
For now, Bennett's nex immediate task is preparing to face the Houston Texans in Game 3. But as we have started in the past, I wouldn't advise betting against him.
