Bennet gets some national/international press

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Stetson Bennett proves draft critics wrong on Los Angeles Rams NFL debut
Story by Joseph McBride •


The Los Angeles Rams handed responsibility to Georgia hero Stetson Bennett in their first preseason game, and the 25-year-old silenced his doubters with an impressive performance.

Bennett played seven drives for the Rams, going 17 of 29 and finishing with 191 yards and throwing an 11-yard touchdown for Puka Nacua. The Rams lost 34-17 to the Los Angeles Chargers, who were led by Easton Stick for most of the game.

The two-time national champion with Georgia was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, despite many critics believing he wouldn't be picked by any team. There were doubts over his capabilities in the NFL due to only being 5-foot-11, and although very successful at college level it's a huge step up in the big league.

But Bennett was a walk-on at Georgia back in 2017, and once again has kept his head down and not been distracted by those doubting his ability. "I know it’s a preseason game, but it’s the first NFL game that you’re playing in," Bennett told reporters.

"You’re going to come in and be a little nervous, try to make a play when sometimes plays aren’t there. But then as [we] started a groove, we started calling plays and you start to settle in once you get hit first, honestly, it’s just like everything I’m taught, almost."

Bennett's first drive lasted 16 plays and ended with a Nacua touchdown after the quarterback recorded 75 yards. The remaining six drives weren't as successful, but Royce Freeman rushed into the endzone in the third before the Chargers scored 14 points in the final quarter.

The Rams are still led by Matthew Stafford at quarterback, although he missed large parts of last season through injury. He's the second-oldest starting quarterback in the NFL, meaning that the Rams will be looking ahead in the near future.

Bennett is hoping to become a starter in the future

Bennett may not be the guy, but he's willing to try his best to be in a position that sees head coach Sean McVay consider him. Bennett was proud of his performance against the Chargers and said: "I thought there were some boneheaded plays that I made.

"I thought there were some good plays that I made. I thought we bounced back a few times from some lost-yardage plays. I thought we did pretty good on third downs, didn’t turn the ball over, even though I tried to a few times, so got to clean that up a little bit, but I thought it was all right. It’s hard to say without watching the tape."

Bennett thought offensively the Rams looked great, and even admitted where he slipped up during the defeat. "I remember especially on the touchdown pass, it was like it just all opened up and I could see Puka real good and thought I had time all night.

"Most of the time I got in trouble was on play fakes. They had wide D-ends and they’re coming up and not really respecting the run, which we gashed them a few times there, but overall, I thought we played really well up front."