Why Did Stetson Bennett Leave the Rams? He Said, "I Went Back Home"
“As far as what led to that, what transpired and all that, I think we're going to keep that in-house," Stetson said.
Published Aug. 12 2024, 4:22 p.m. ET
Fourth-round draft pick and University of Georgia star alum Stetson Bennett left the Los Angeles Rams after the pre-season in 2023.
Why did the rookie quarterback step away from the NFL after not even playing a single regular season game?
With Stetson set to return to the Super Bowl-winning team in 2024, fans want to know why he left the Rams in the first place. Here's what we know about the former Bulldog's reason for taking time off and what changed since that time.
So, why did Stetson Bennett leave the Rams in 2023?
According to 11Alive, the quarterback out of Georgia seemingly prioritized his mental health and decided that playing for the Rams did not align with that goal.
“I was home,” Bennett explained about where he was during the season. “As far as what led to that, what transpired and all that, I think we're going to keep that in-house. But it was good. I went back home, and thank goodness (general manager) Les (Snead) and Coach McVay allowed me to do that.”
Meanwhile, Stetson also suffered a shoulder injury before the first game of the 2023 season, which may have had something to do with his absence on the field, as reported by Fox Sports.
Stetson Bennett is coming back to the Rams for the 2024 season.
After taking time off, Stetson has returned to L.A. and is participating in drills with the Rams. He said, “It's been great to get back to football. It's what I love.”
Per Outkick, Stetson will serve as the team's third-string quarterback, with Matthew Stafford starting, and Jimmy Garoppolo on standby, having been suspended for the first two games of the season.
Per the NFL, Jimmy's suspension is due to a violation of the organization's performance-enhancing substances policy.
Meanwhile, Outkick opined that Stetson's pre-season return against the Dallas Cowboys did not go well. But here's hoping that he has a great season and feels mentally and physically strong out there. We'll be rooting for him!
Fans are rooting for Stetson Bennett as well.
"It’s great seeing Stetson Bennett back on the field!" one fan account on X shared upon seeing the quarterback in the pre-season opener.
"Remember when you guys thought Stetson Bennett wouldn’t translate to the NFL?" questioned another fan. "Just making pure progression reads throwing with anticipation on rhythm. Looks comfortable in the NFL to me."
After passing the game-winning touchdown pass, Stetson said, "I told myself today we're gonna roll with the punches. My goal was to not make any mental errors. It was basically to run the offense correctly."
He added, "There were some lapses, obviously, but in the end, it was get the ball in the end zone or you lose, and I think everybody fought to do it."
Coach Sean McVay said about the returning rookie, "He's the type of guy that's probably gonna go lead us on a game-winning touchdown drive, and Stetson did a great job."
