When Stetson Bennett decided to step away from the Los Angeles Rams last year to focus on his off-the-field issues, it left fans wondering if they would ever see the Georgia product under center in Sean McVay’s offense ever again.

Fast forward a year into the future, and Bennett’s back, but he’s on a team that looks very different than the one he left, with Jimmy Garapolo now locked in as QB2 behind Matthew Stafford.

Still, just because Bennett will spend much of the season holding a clipboard as the Rams’ emergency third quarterback doesn’t mean the team doesn’t have expectations for the 26-year-old former fourth-round pick, as per McVay in his media availability session earlier this week, he still wants to see his, shall we say, redshirt rookie quarterback flash when his number gets called.

“I think command, control [and] being able to get in and out of the huddle. There’s so much that goes into the quarterback position in regard to calling the play, getting up to the line of scrimmage, making sure that everybody’s set, sending any sort of motion, and then being able to play and trust your instincts after the snap,” Sean McVay explained to reporters.

“I want to be able to see that and I want to see him to be able to go enjoy this opportunity to go compete. He seems like… when I’ve seen him off his best, he’s having fun, and that’s really consistent with all players. So just go cut it loose, play, and enjoy it. I thought we felt that in the first preseason game a little bit last year when he was flashing and doing those kinds of things. So that’s what I’m looking forward to seeing.”

One of the most experienced quarterbacks to enter the NFL in some time, with 31 college starts since first committing to Georgia in 2017, Bennett wasn’t the typical Day 3 developmental quarterback when the Rams drafted him 128th overall, as he’s somehow older than Tua Tagovailoa despite the Miami quarterback already being on his second NFL contract. Still, taking a year away from the game is no joke, and as a result, Bennett will have to work on his game to get back on track. Fortunately, he has an understanding head coach who wants to be there every step of the way, which is paramount to getting his career back on track.

Sean McVay explains how the Rams will support Stetson Bennett

Later in his media session, McVay was asked about the process of bringing Bennett back after what is effectively a year away and how he plans to incorporate him back into team activities.

While McVay does have football expectations for Bennett, he also wants to make sure he feels supported by the team, as that will be just as important to get him back on track heading into the future.

“The answer is yes. I’d like to be able to think so. I think the important thing was empathy and really trying to understand that everybody goes through different things, but the strength is acknowledging it, addressing it, and then how do you move forward?” McVay asked.

“How do you also know that you’re not alone on that journey? How do you know that people are willing to put their arm around you? How important it is to make sure that you surround yourself with people that love you unconditionally. I think it was good for him to be able to get a reset. Most importantly, he feels good as a person. That makes me really happy. I’m looking forward to watching him just go out and play. When he does go out there, he’s got a nice swagger and a charisma about himself that is fun to watch. That’s what I’m hoping we’ll be able to see and guys play well around him as well.”

After securing the biggest win of his career at the end of the 2022 NCAA season, Bennett’s 2023 was similarly eventful for all the wrong reasons, as he was arrested for public intoxication, drafted by the Rams in April, and then played on the reserve/non-football illness list in a move that effectively put his NFL future up in the air. If Bennett can get back on track with the Rams and in the right mindset to succeed in Los Angeles moving forward, it will only spell good things for his NFL future, especially if his game can return to the level that helped Georgia win a national championship under Kirby Smart.