LOS ANGELES — Just weeks after former University of Georgia standout and current Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett was placed on the non-football injury list, Rams head coach Sean McVay inferred Monday that it is unlikely he will return to the team this season.
It was the first time McVay had spoken of Bennett in over a month, when he said that Bennett was doing "very well" for an issue that he described as "bigger than" football. McVay refused to elaborate on what Bennett could be dealing with.
When speaking to reporters on Monday, McVay was asked about Bennett's availability after Rams starting QB -- and also former Bulldog -- Matthew Stafford came down with a thumb injury in their 43-20 blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
McVay said that while he wasn't ready to declare officially that Bennett won't be back with the Rams in 2023, he said "but it's probably less likely than it is likely he would be," according to ESPN NFL Nation Rams reporter Sarah Barshop. McVay, once again, said Bennett was "doing well."
Bennett has been on the Rams' non-football injury list since Sept. 13. At the time, McVay asked reporters to respect his decision to keep the matter private.
"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 I think are a little bigger and a little more important," McVay said. "And out of respect for the particulars and the specifics, we want to keep it in-house, and that's where I want to leave it please."
The requirements for going on a team's NFI list include the following options:
- A player suffering an injury away from the team’s practice facility.
- A long-term illness outside of football.
- An injury that occurred during a college season that prevents a player from practicing at the start of his rookie season.
On Sept. 23, McVay told reporters that he spoke to Bennett over the phone the previous weekend and that he was doing "very well."
“I got a chance to hear his voice and he sounds really good and that was really cool to hear," McVay said at the time.
The offseason was a bit turbulent for Bennett, as he was arrested for public intoxication back in January while training for the NFL Draft in the Dallas, Texas, area.
Bennett, a fourth-round pick by Los Angeles in April, was 29-3 as the starting quarterback for Georgia, leading them to back-to-back national championships in the 2021 and 2022 seasons that Bulldog fans will never forget.
