Stetson Bennett had plenty of doubters coming out of Georgia, but the Los Angeles Rams showed faith in the undersized quarterback when they took him in the fourth round of the draft. The Rams love how successful he was in college and his combination of accuracy and athleticism, but he hasn’t exactly gotten off to the best start in the NFL.
Bennett played all three preseason games and threw 62 passes, so his opportunities were certainly there. Unfortunately, the results were poor. According to Pro Football Focus, Bennett was the lowest-graded quarterback in the NFL this preseason, earning an overall mark of 29.5. The next-closest quarterback who had at least 19 drop-backs was P.J. Walker, who had a PFF grade of 41.2 this preseason and has already been cut by the Bears.
Bennett finished the preseason with a completion rate of 58.1% and just one touchdown pass compared to three interceptions. What drove Bennett’s grade down significantly was his decision-making. His six turnover-worthy plays were tied with Jake Haener for the most of any quarterback, so he was actually lucky to have just three interceptions.
Coincidentally, former Rams quarterback John Wolford had the highest passing grade (87.5) of all quarterbacks this preseason, completing 66.7% of his passes for 168 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.
Three preseason games won’t decide the future of Bennett’s career, but it’s hard not to be disappointed by his performance this summer. If there’s one thing he must improve, it’s his decision-making. Too often he tried to force a throw, especially after staring down his receiver and leading the defender to the target.
Bennett isn’t going to be cut and he could still be the No. 2 quarterback, but his preseason play might cause the Rams to keep Brett Rypien on the roster, too.
