Stetson Bennett shined during the Rams' second preseason game on Saturday, so much so that Rams' head coach Sean McVay hinted at Bennett inching closer to winning the backup quarterback job over rookie Ty Simpson.
"I think he’s getting better and better,” Sean McVay said via theramswire.usatoday.com. “I think part of it is the overall command. I thought he made some really good decisions. I thought he got through some progressions. Then I love the fact that he used his legs.”
Bennett was already the perceived favorite to win the backup job heading into this weekend's game. He started during the Rams' first preseason game over Simpson and was also receiving first teams reps during practice when starter Matthew Stafford was resting. The fact McVay thinks he's still getting better may show that he is getting closer to officially crowning him the Rams' backup.
Stetson Bennett's play is forcing the Rams to name him their backup QB over Ty Simpson
Bennett completed 19 of 31 passes during the Rams' game on Saturday. He threw for 181 yards and zero touchdowns, but he did find the end zone with his legs twice. Bennett only played in the first half of this game, so he could've done even better had he played the entire game.
Bennett could've been more efficient through the air, but he was still effective moving the ball down the field by making timely throws and using his legs to his advantage.
"I thought he used his legs as a weapon, which we talked about a little bit with you guys last week,” McVay continued. “I think those are the things that don't necessarily come to life in some of the practice settings. The fourth-down play that he made was unbelievable. We got a little roll pass on, they got a slot pressure. For him to be able to pull up and make that throw to allow us to be able to run underneath that, that was an incredible throw and catch.”
Bennett's competition to be the Rams' backup this season is rookie Ty Simpson. He played extremely well during the Rams' first preseason game last week, but he struggled to find similar success during the second half on Saturday. He finished the game with just 73 passing yards while completing 8 of 12 passes with zero touchdowns through the air or on the ground.
Stetson Bennett's NFL future may hinge on winning the Rams' backup QB job
Bennett appears to be the front runner to win the backup quarterback job in LA. Even if he does win this job his future still remains uncertain. Bennett's contract expires after this season while Simpson will still have three years left after the Rams drafted him in the first round of the NFL Draft this year. It's unlikely that the Rams would give up on Simpson already, so they could decide to let Bennett walk after this year in favor of Simpson.
That makes winning the backup job even more important for Bennett. He needs as many opportunities to play this year to show other teams why they should sign him next offseason if he becomes a free agent. Sure he won't be he Rams' starter, but being the backup gives him the chance to play if Matthew Stafford gets hurt or in the event of a blowout.
Bennett is doing everything he can to win the backup job, and his performance this weekend was a step in the right direction. He still has work to do since the Rams haven't named a backup yet, but even McVay thinks he is trending in that direction.
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