LOS ANGELES — Stetson Bennett got his first extended run of play since stepping away from the Los Angeles Rams last season and made good at the end with a preseason game-winning touchdown pass.
There were cobwebs to shake off for the former Georgia Bulldogs star -- quite a few of them, as he threw four interceptions.
But he managed, in the end, to show off the improvisational quality that made him a back-to-back national champion in Athens. With eight seconds to go and a fourth & goal situation setting up a do-or-die play for the Rams, Bennett stepped into his pocket as it began to collapse, spun off to his left and tossed an almost side-arm pass on the run to Miller Forristall for the touchdown.
The overall line wasn't pretty for the 26-year-old -- he averaged a hair under six yards per attempt, completing 24 of 38 passes. But it was nice for Dawgs fans just to see Bennett out on the field making some plays, after he stepped away from football for reasons he insinuated were mental health battles.
He's back with the Rams for the 2024 season, after Los Angeles took him in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, looking to secure his place as one of Matthew Stafford's backups.
McVay had positive things to say about Bennett when asked about the state of the quarterback position with his team last week.
"Here's what I will say is, (I'm) super impressed with obviously Matthew in the offseason," McVay said. "I thought Stetson made tremendous growth. I thought Jimmy Garoppolo looked like the guy that I've seen playing at a really high level, and that gives me confidence."
Bennett had previously expressed the nerves he felt being back out on the field during offseason camp and his love for the game.
“A lot of nerves the first day of the offseason program," Bennett said of his return to the Rams earlier in the spring. "It’s gone — I wouldn’t say seamlessly, but it has gotten better each day, just like you try to make it," before adding, “It's been great to get back to football. It's what I love.”
