Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett has explained why he missed his entire rookie season last year. He told reporters on Tuesday that he was struggling with “mental health issues.”
Bennett, a 2023 fourth-round pick out of Georgia, was placed on the Rams’ reserve/non-football illness list five days before Los Angeles’ regular season opener.
Asked Tuesday if his absence “fell under the umbrella of mental health care,” he replied, “Yes, I would say so.”
Bennett, who returned to the team for offseason training last month, said he was “nervous” at first but added that “it’s gotten better every day.”
‘Thank God for that [general manager] Lesson [Snead] and Coach [Sean] McVay and everyone involved allowed me to do that,” Bennett told reporters via ESPN.
Stetson Bennett shared with reporters that he missed his rookie season due to ‘mental health’
Bennett, seen on Tuesday, returned to the team last month for offseason training in LA
Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur added Tuesday that Bennett was “in a good spot.”
“It was a pleasure to work with him,” he said. Obviously I’m not going to go into too much detail, but he’s in a good place and he’s here. He did a great job as a sponge…’
‘He comes to work every day focused with the intention of getting better. And that’s all you can ask these guys. If their intent is right, and Stetson’s is right now, then that’s all you can ask for. And that is certainly shown.’
Notably, Bennett was arrested in January in Dallas, Texas, on charges of public intoxication, before the 2023 NFL Draft, after allegedly banging on doors in a residential neighborhood at 6 a.m. CT.
Bennett was expected to be the primary backup to Rams starting quarterback Matthew Stafford last season before being placed on the reserve/non-football illness list.
He’s now more likely to be the No. 3 quarterback after LA signed veteran Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency, guaranteeing him $3 million per Spotrac.