Stetson Bennett Praised by Rams HC Sean McVay After Preseason Debut vs. Chargers

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay liked what he saw from rookie quarterback Stetson Bennett during Saturday's 34-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in both teams' preseason opener.

"I thought he did a nice job," McVay told reporters. "There were some tough situations there, and you could see the athleticism where he escaped."

Bennett finished 17-of-29 for 191 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions during the defeat, although he just missed throwing multiple picks during the contest. To his credit, he wasted little time making an impression and directed a lengthy 16-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on his first possession.

"In that scoring drive, he was able to get into a rhythm," McVay said. "I thought he did a nice job of being able to exhaust some of his progressions. ... You could see that it was a step in the right direction."

Bennett is more of a household name than most rookie backup quarterbacks considering he led the Georgia Bulldogs to back-to-back College Football Playoff national championships.

Los Angeles selected him with a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and he is competing with Brett Rypien to be Matthew Stafford's backup. Rypien started Saturday's game and went 3-of-6 for 11 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Both quarterbacks will get their next chance in game action when the Rams take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday.