Stetson Bennett started at quarterback for the Rams during their first two preseason games this year. The Rams have just one final game against the Chargers before the regular season begins, and as of now they aren't sure whether he will play or not. Based on a report from Nate Atkins though it is sounding like Bennett will more than likely be sidelined during this game on Thursday.
The Rams still plan on playing Ty Simpson and Matthew Caldwell in Thursday's preseason finale against the Chargers, but they're meeting today to decide on whether Stetson Bennett will play.
— Nate Atkins (@NateAtkins_) August 25, 2026
The plan is to keep 3 QBs on the 53-man roster.
Rams may decide to not play Stetson Bennett in their final preseason game
The Rams debated not playing Stetson Bennett during their first two preseason games. Most NFL teams choose to rest their established players during the preseason to avoid injuries, and Bennett has been in the Rams' organization for three years now so he doesn't need the reps that rookie quarterback Ty Simpson does to learn the offense.
Bennett ultimately started both games though and played well in the first game before exploding during the second game. Head coach Sean McVay however said that fellow quarterbacks Ty Simpson and Matthew Caldwell will play on Thursday, so there may not be any available playing time for Bennett.
Bennett and Simpson split time during the first two games while Caldwell never saw the field. If the Rams want Caldwell to play now it seems difficult to make time for three quarterbacks to all play, so that is why Bennett more than likely won't see the field during the Rams' final preseason game.
Stetson Bennett being sidelined during Rams' final preseason game is good and bad
Bennett being sidelined is both a good and bad thing for his future. If he doesn't play on Thursday that could mean he has locked up the backup quarterback job for the upcoming season already. If that competition was still ongoing then the Rams would likely want both him and Simpson to play, but if they believe Bennett is their backup then resting him to avoid injury makes sense.
Winning the backup job this season was always the goal for Bennett. This gives him the chance to play during the regular season if a game gets out of hand or if starter Matthew Stafford gets injured, and those reps will be critical for his future as his contract with the Rams expires after this season.
Bennett however could use the playing time in the final preseason game to show every NFL team what he is capable of. He not only needs to try and convince the Rams to sign him to a new contract after this season, but he needs to show every other NFL team why they should sign him too. If he is on the sideline then he can't show teams what he's made of, and that could ultimately hurt him in the long run when it comes time to sign a new contract.
For now though it appears that Bennett is trending towards being the Rams' starter this season. He can worry about next year when the time comes, but now Bennett needs to remain focused on securing the backup job for the upcoming season and not letting go all year long.
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