Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett came out firing Saturday in extended action during his first preseason game.
The former Georgia quarterback went 17-for-29 for 191 yards and a touchdown pass to receiver Puka Nacua.
“I thought he did a nice job,” head coach Sean McVay said of Bennett’s performance, according to ESPN. “There were some tough situations, and you could see the athleticism where he escaped.”
All three of the Rams’ scoring drives were led by Bennett in the 34-17 loss to the Chargers.
“I thought there was a lot of good opportunities for him to be able to learn from, and you could see some of the things that excite us about him.” McVay continued.
Bennett entered early in the second quarter and immediately led an impressive 16-play, 75-yard touchdown drive.
“In that scoring drive, he was able to get into a rhythm,” McVay said. “I thought he did a nice job of being able to exhaust some of his progressions … You could see that it was a step in the right direction.”
Bennett agreed that his first taste of NFL action was a success.
“I got more comfortable as the game went on,” Bennett said. “I started to play football … There’s some things to fix, but there’s some things we can be proud of too.”
Bennett was drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft as a possible successor to Matthew Stafford after winning back-to-back national championships with Georgia, though his stock entering the draft was unknown after a public intoxication arrest in January.
But the 25-year-old got an opportunity with the Rams, and he’s competing with Brett Rypien to serve as Stafford’s backup.