Stetson Bennett is entering the final year of his rookie contract with the LA Rams. Up to this point he has not been given an opportunity to compete during the regular season, but he has made a lot of noise every offseason and in the preseason that has left fans begging for him to be given a chance.
Bennett's NFL career however is currently hanging in the balance for two big reasons as current backup Jimmy Garoppolo is still debating retirement and new draftee Ty Simpson is ready to compete against him.
But up to this point the Rams have not decided what they want to do with Bennett.
LA Rams are yet to make a final decision on Stetson Bennett's future
Bennett's future with the Rams took a positive turn in April when current backup Jimmy Garoppolo started thinking about retirement. If he did retire then Bennett would immediately become Matthew Stafford's backup, and with Stafford nearing retirement age as well Bennett could've waited his turn to step in as their starter when he did retire.
Those plans however were destroyed the second the Rams drafted Ty Simpson in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft this year.
Bennett now has to battle Simpson this offseason as the Rams look to figure out the pecking order in their quarterback room. To make matters even worse, Garoppolo hasn't made a final decision on his future yet either.
So now Bennett, who again in his final year of his contract, is left in limbo as he wonders what the future holds for him.
2026 offseason will make or break Stetson Bennett's NFL career
Bennett should be praying Garoppolo does retire because if he doesn't then there is no chance he will be the backup this year. The job as Stafford's backup will always be reserved for Garoppolo, so as long as he is around Bennett with be the third string quarterback at best.
Whether Garoppolo retires or not doesn't impact the fierce competition that will ensue all offseason between Bennett and Simpson. The Rams are hoping that one of them will emerge as their quarterback of the future, so this offseason it is extremely important that Bennett beats Simpson whether it's for the third string role or to be Stafford's backup.
The general consensus is that Simpson has the upper hand in this competition. Organizations don't use a first round pick on a quarterback they don't intend on becoming their starter, so Bennett was already falling behind before the offseason competition even began.
So Bennett not only needs to beat out Simpson this offseason, but he needs to be significantly better than him if the Rams are going to build their future around him.
Bennett will have his chance this offseason to prove he is better than Simpson, and if Georgia fans known anything they know that he will show up ready to compete. But if he is going to earn his spot with the Rams in the long term he needs Garoppolo to retire which unfortunately he has zero say in.
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