Stetson Bennett is in his final year of his rookie contract with the LA Rams. He has never been given a chance by the Rams since he has always been a backup to Matthew Stafford, but after the Falcons drafted quarterback Ty Simpson in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft they made it clear that Bennett is not part of their future plans.
All Bennett needs is one chance to prove that he is the great player that he is. There are plenty of NFL organizations out there who could definitely use his services, and Georgia fans love to point at the Atlanta Falcons as the team that needs to go get him.
It turns out the Falcons had a chance to go get him right now. Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix are both dealing with injuries, so Atlanta needed to add a quarterback. Instead of trading for Bennett they instead signed Cooper Rush in what was one of the biggest missed opportunities of the offseason.
Falcons missed a golden opportunity to bring Stetson Bennett back to Georgia
Rush is entering his ninth season in the NFL. He was a long time backup with the Dallas Cowboys and played pretty well when needed, but he never played good enough for any team to want make him their starting quarterback.
Atlanta knows he is a safe option for them while their other quarterbacks heal up, but why not take a chance on Bennett? He hasn't yet proven whether he is a great NFL quarterback or not, but until he gets a chance no one will know. So why not take a chance on him instead of knowing that you'll only get mediocre quarterback play from Rush?
Since Bennett only has one year left on his contract and hasn't actually played yet the Falcons wouldn't have to give up much to trade for him. They also would only have to hold onto him for one year, so if things weren't going well they could let him go after this season.
They however didn't want to take that chance, and that will upset all of their Georgia football fans.
Stetson Bennett to the Atlanta Falcons makes perfect sense for all parties
Bennett was the safest option for Atlanta. He is extremely cheap and as mentioned he would only be in Atlanta for one year if he didn't play well. But imagine a scenario where he plays extremely well. Then they would be able to sign him to a new contract next year for a bargain and build their future around him instead of paying another quarterback far more money.
Atlanta also would see a significant increase in fan interest if they traded for Bennett. Most Georgia fans are fans of the Falcons as well, so imagine how much better the atmosphere would be at every game if he was under center for them.
Bennett to Atlanta would be the perfect combination. He would finally get a chance to prove himself and the Falcons wouldn't have to spend much to find out if he is a good NFL player. It's a shame that they didn't make this move, but maybe they'll reconsider and sign him in free agency next offseason.
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