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Former Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett entered the Los Angeles Rams' first preseason game as the backup to legendary starter Matthew Stafford. If the Rams' game against the Kansas City Chiefs was any indication, Bennett has a fight on his hands with rookie Ty Simpson for the No. 2 role.
Bennett played sparingly in Los Angeles' 20-12 victory, as he was 4-of-6 for 38 yards. The highlight of his day was a 21-yard pass to Brennan Presley as part of a 13-play, 73-yard drive that ended with a field goal. Simpson, meanwhile, showed why Los Angeles chose him with the 13th overall pick in this year's draft.
Simpson put together a strong outing in his first preseason game. The former Alabama quarterback was 21-of-25 through the air for 190 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. Simpson found Dean Connors for a 9-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter then found Connors again from 2 yards out about six minutes later.
Bennett is in his fourth year with the Rams after Los Angeles drafted him in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He is yet to play in a regular season game but has his best opportunity yet following the retirement of former Rams backup Jimmy Garoppolo. The threat, of course, is Simpson, who the Rams spent serious draft capital on in April.
Bennett spoke about his approach earlier this week.
"I just want to go out there and be the best that I can be. That irks me to no end and gets after me. And then if I am going out there and playing good ball, then that's enough for me," Bennett said, via Rams social media. "It's not really about the outward, you know, 'Wow, that guy's doing good,' you know? Because if you rise up here with that, then you'll fall down here with that when they're killing you. And so it's who's the man in the mirror, how are we doing today, and how are we going to do tomorrow?"
Bennett is entering the final year of his contract with the Rams. He will be an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
Bennett and Simpson had significantly different paths to the NFL.
Bennett initially came to Georgia as a walk-on in 2017, transferred to Jones College for a year, then came back to UGA in 2019. He began the 2020 season as the Bulldogs' starter before being replaced by USC transfer JT Daniels. Daniels held the role into the 2021 season before Bennett got the nod and never looked back.
Bennett replaced Daniels early in the 2021 campaign and led Georgia to an undefeated regular season. Bennett and the Bulldogs shook off a 41-24 loss to Alabama in the SEC title game by dispatching of Michigan in the semifinals then exacting revenge on the Crimson Tide in the national championship game. Bennett was masterful in his rematch with Alabama, as he was 17-of-26 for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Both touchdowns came in the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs finished off the Crimson Tide.
Bennett used his final year of eligibility in 2022 and made the most of it. He threw for 4,127 yards with 27 touchdowns and 7 interceptions and also rushed for 10 scores. His performance earned him a trip to the Heisman Trophy ceremony, making him Georgia's first finalist since Garrison Hearst 30 years earlier.
Bennett's success played an instrumental role in Georgia going 15-0 and winning its second consecutive national title.
While Bennett had quite a wait before reaching the pros, Simpson struck after a single season as the Crimson Tide's starter.
Simpson backed up Jalen Milroe in 2023 and 2024 before taking the reins of the Alabama offense in 2025. Simpson found his share of success as QB1 and ended the year with 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.
One of Simpson's best outings of the season came at Georgia, when he was 24-of-38 for 276 yards with 2 touchdowns in Alabama's 24-21 victory. The Bulldogs got their revenge in the SEC title game by limiting Simpson to 19-of-39 for 212 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. The Bulldogs put a struggling Alabama offense in its place in a 28-7 UGA victory.
The battle between Bennett and Simpson will continue this preseason. The Rams' next game is on Saturday when they host the New Orleans Saints.