Los Angeles Rams backup quarterback Stetson Bennett landed on the reserve/non-football illness list on Wednesday, head coach Sean McVay announced.
McVay did not reveal specifically why Bennett was placed on the list, but said he did meet with him before the move was made. McVay also confirmed that the decision was completely unrelated to the shoulder injury Bennett was dealing with leading into the season.
“Out of respect for him and the situation, I’m going to leave all of those specifics and particulars in-house. Want to be able to do that out of respect for that situation,” McVay said, via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. “I’m not going to really have any follow-up information or anything that I’ll give in that regard … That’s all I’m going to say, and I really hope that you can please respect my wishes in regards to keeping that in-house. I understand you have a job to do, but there are certain things that are a lot bigger and more important. Out of respect for the particulars and the specifics, I want to be able to keep it in-house and that’s where I’d like to leave it, please.”
It’s unclear how long Bennett will be sidelined, but he will miss at least the team’s next four games. At the earliest, Bennett can return for their game against the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 15.
Bennett, who led Georgia to back-to-back national titles and finished in fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2022, was selected by the Rams in the fourth round of the NFL Draft earlier this spring. He started in two of their preseason games earlier this fall, but landed on the injury report before Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Rams then promoted Brett Rypien, who they signed to their practice squad, to back up starter Matthew Stafford for Sunday’s 30-13 win in Seattle. Rypien will serve as the team’s backup at least until Bennett can return.
“The fortunate thing for us is that Brett Rypien has been in-house,” McVay said. “He’s on our practice squad. He was the backup last week, and he’s going to continue to be in that situation until anything changes on that note. That’s kind of where we’re at right now”
Bennett went 17-of-19 for 191 yards and threw a touchdown in the Rams’ preseason opener, and then went 15-of-24 for 142 yards with an interception in their second game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Bennett is the first quarterback the Rams have selected in the draft since they took Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick in 2016. Goff was later traded to the Detroit Lions.
Stafford led the Rams to a dominant win over the Seahawks on Sunday while receivers Tutu Atwell and Puka Nacua each hauled in 119 receiving yards. The Rams will host the San Francisco 49ers, who rolled over the Pittsburgh Steelers in their season opener, next on Sunday.
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