Rams GM: Stetson Bennett Was 'Exhausted' in 2023, Time Away Was 'Very Beneficial'

Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead said in an exclusive interview with Chuck Williams of WRBL (h/t Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire) that backup quarterback Stetson Bennett, who spent last year on the reserve/non-football illness list for undisclosed reasons, was "exhausted" due to the trials and tribulations of his college football career, adding that the time away was "very beneficial for him."

"I know this: Last year was very beneficial for him. I think he took advantage of that year away from the game. You know what, he's an exhausted human being based on everything he had done to walk on, to go to JUCO, to come back, to turn down small schools, say 'I'm going to try to do this Georgia thing.'

"To win a job, then to win the thing, and then to determine, 'I'm going to come back.' And when you come back, it's really win it again or you failed. And that does take a toll on a human being, so I was jacked for Stetson to be able to take that moment and breathe a little bit."

Bennett, who the Rams selected with a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, came to L.A. on the heels of helping lead Georgia to two straight national championships. It was an incredible end to an underdog story that started with him walking on at Georgia in 2017, only to transfer to a community college (Jones College) for the 2018 season.

Bennett returned to UGA in 2019 and served as a backup for a year-plus before becoming QB1 in during the 2020 campaign. However, JT Daniels then took the starting gig and held it until suffering an oblique injury in 2021. Bennett took the job back over and never looked back.

Bennett earned the backup gig to Matt Stafford entering the 2023 season but didn't dress for the team's season-opening 30-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks due to a right shoulder injury.

Just a few days later, Bennett ended up on the NFI list.

"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," head coach Sean McVay said on Sept. 13, per Greg Beacham of the Associated Press.

Ten days later, McVay spoke with Bennett and said that he sounded really good.

Bennett is back now, though, and participating in OTAs.

He's part of a QB room that currently includes Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo and Dresser Winn.