As the Los Angeles Rams concluded their preseason game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium, head coach Sean McVay and his staff faced the challenging task of trimming their roster. One notable storyline from the Rams’ training camp involved the quarterback depth chart. During the offseason, the Rams signed Jimmy Garoppolo following another unsuccessful stint as the starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Garoppolo’s struggles were highlighted in a Netflix special called “Receiver,” which featured all-pro receiver Davante Adams nearly moved to tears over Garoppolo’s performance. It became clear that Garoppolo needed a fresh start. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Garoppolo signed a one-year contract with the Rams worth a base salary of $4.5 million, with the potential to earn up to $12 million if certain incentives are met, likely related to stepping in for Matthew Stafford in case of injury.
Garoppolo’s tenure with the Raiders was marred by a violation of the NFL’s rules on Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE), leading to a two-game suspension. This situation created a competition for the backup quarterback role for the Rams. During the preseason, Stetson Bennett and Dresser Winn received most of the playing time to determine who would serve as Matthew Stafford’s backup in the first two weeks.
After the final preseason game, Coach McVay announced that Stetson Bennett would be the Rams’ backup quarterback to start the season. As a result, Dresser Winn, who spent last season on the practice squad and was briefly elevated to the main roster, was waived. Bennett, who took a break from football last season to focus on his mental health, is now back with the Rams and hopes to eventually succeed Matthew Stafford. Speaking about Stafford, Bennett expressed his admiration, saying, “He’s been a starting quarterback in the league for 16 years, won a Super Bowl, but has also been on bad teams. I just try to learn from him.”
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