Stetson Bennett breaks silence on his notable absence last season

Aug 12, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett was conspicuously missing for the entirety of his rookie season. On Tuesday, Bennett spoke about his absence for the first time since returning to the team.

The Rams placed Bennett on the reserve/non-football injury (NFI) list last September before the former Georgia QB even played a single snap for the team.

Bennett has since returned to practice after being away from the team throughout his stint on the NFI list.

It looks like Stetson Bennett is back practicing with the Rams in this video that the franchise posted this afternoon. It’s nice to see the two-time national championship winning QB on a football field againpic.twitter.com/h7Jxz8YW6y

— Graham Coffey (@GrahamCoffeyDC) May 20, 2024

Bennett on Tuesday spoke to reporters about his absence. He confirmed that his hiatus from football “fell under the umbrella of mental health.” The 27-year-old didn’t elaborate beyond stating that he returned home to Georgia throughout the ordeal.

“I was home. As far as what led to that, what transpired and all that, I think we’re going to keep that in-house. But it was good. Went back home. Thank goodness that [Rams GM Les Snead] and coach McVay allowed me to do that,” Bennett told reporters.

The Rams selected Bennett in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Bennett was expected to serve as the backup to veteran QB Matthew Stafford last season. With Bennett gone, the Rams ended up signing a former Pro Bowl QB midway through the season to shore up their QB room.