At this point, it feels like the Stetson Bennett experiment is on life-support. Unless he somehow finishes the preseason by turning his one touchdown, four interceptions preseason ratio on its head, the Los Angeles Rams have little reason to continue to work with him.
Luckily, they also have Jimmy Garoppolo holding onto the top backup roles with two hands. However, Garoppolo will miss the first two games of the regular season due to suspension. As such, unless the Rams pick up a quarterback Stetson Bennett is slated to be the team’s backup quarterback for those games. That said, even a two-game window might be too much to risk with Bennett in a backup role.
Free-agent quarterbacks more enticing than Stetson Bennett:
#1 – Ryan Tannehill
The former Titans and Dolphins quarterback is somehow still available. Ryan Tannehill has experience playing in the AFC championship game and is still in his 30s. As such, it is a surprise that he still doesn’t have a job in the league. The Rams would be smart to snatch up Tannehill for the two-game stretch and trade him to get some easy capital.
#2 – Trevor Siemian
If, for some reason, McVay doesn’t want Tannehill, he can look to Trevor Siemian. He has one winning season under his belt and in a tight spot, the Rams would at least have someone with experience ready to play. This would be an upgrade over Bennett. Siemian went 2-1 last year with the Jets and, offers hope that he could keep the ship afloat this year if something were to happen to Stafford in his first two games.
#3 – Kellen Mond
The most intriguing aspect of Bennett is that his ceiling is still technically unknown to some. If the Rams truly want a project quarterback with an untested ceiling, they could turn to Kellen Mond. Mond has played in just one game in his career, according to Pro Football Reference. The Rams could have a fresh project quarterback, and with the unknown comes a potentially higher ceiling.
#4 – Blaine Gabbert
Blaine Gabbert wouldn’t be a sexy addition by any means. However, he is a veteran who has worked behind Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. Due to those experiences, he would know how to act as Matthew Stafford‘s backup for a couple of games. By that mere fact, he could be a worthy addition, albeit a less-than-desirable one compared to the other candidates.
Gabbert spent time with Andy Reid last year and while those lessons didn’t appear to sink in instantly, they might have after an off-season to think about his reps.