WOODLAND HILLS, Calif — After the final practice before the Rams' first preseason game against the Chiefs head coach Sean McVay announced that quarterback Stetson Bennett IV will start at Kansas City on Saturday. To this point in his career, Bennett has played in seven preseason games, starting six of them, and has accumulated 1,296 passing yards with eight touchdowns.
Similar to past seasons, McVay sees the preseason as an opportunity for Bennett to continue to operate the offense the way he has during training camp and practice "good communication" by getting in and out of the huddle.
Throughout Rams Training Camp, Bennett has received all of first-team reps when quarterback Matthew Stafford has scheduled rest days and the vast majority of second-team reps when Stafford operates the first team. Compared to past seasons, this season is "a lot more playing football," Bennett recognized.
Bennett has yet to play a snap in a regular season game due to his position playing behind Stafford and former Rams quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on the depth chart over the last two seasons. Now, there are more practice reps that Bennett can take with both the first and second team and more game reps that he can take during the preseason.
"It definitely was tough, just watching out there and not really doing anything during practice, not really doing anything on Sundays, ... not doing anything," Bennett said. "We love to compete. So it has been a test of patience, a test of willpower."
Bennett would and still does have constant conversations with associate coordinator/quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone, who's entering his third season in Los Angeles. Bennett acknowledged he uses coaches and especially Ragone to "take me around the practice field and take me through the script before, and after we watch the little things that you can do when you're not on the practice field to get better."
"It all compounds over time," Bennett said when asked about those conversations with Ragone, especially now taking first-team reps. "It's hard to point to any one thing. It's time on task. It's repetition is the mother of learning. It's everything that is, we're not there yet, and we gotta keep that in mind. But it's just doing what you think is the best thing that you should do at that moment."
Quarterback Ty Simpson is now in the same shoes as Bennett was the last few seasons and mentioned how he has the same advice for Bennett that has gotten him through to this point in his NFL career.
"I guess patience," Bennett said. "Trying to just do the best that I can for me, for the organization, and just taking a step forward every single day. You're not gonna solve all the world's problems today, and it won't be tomorrow, and it probably won't be for a long time. Just keep stacking days, keep getting better."
Although Bennett has had patience tested and tried to take advantage of any and all opportunities he's been presented, what has also compounded over time is his confidence.
"I think that just comes with being better at your job and having more ownership, knowing the offense more, being closer with the guys," Bennett said when asked about confidence heading into this season.
For Stetson, he believes he "learns more by playing," and the first preseason game will give him even more learning experiences.
