When I went through, Stetson Bennett was having a good start to camp.
And don’t kill the messenger here, but I definitely got the sense from the coaching staff that there was a hope Bennett could — and dare I say, would — end up winning the backup quarterback spot behind Matthew Stafford. I think that was the hope. I’m curious to see if it will be the reality. But here’s a wakeup call for those who believe @Ty Simpson would be the backup if Bennett isn’t: I truly don’t believe that’s what the Rams want to advance with. I think the staff and front office are in lockstep that this is a difficult offense to learn and an even longer journey to master. Right now, Bennett is further down that road than Simpson. The plan for Simpson is patience. But preseason games will factor into what happens here. I refuse to count out Jimmy Garoppolo as a potential returnee if things go south with Bennett by Week 1. As long as Garoppolo is a free agent, he’s an emergency lever. As for Simpson, I’m willing to let Snead send the message.
Doug Haller·
The future of Kyler Murray, the No. 1 pick of the 2019 NFL Draft and signed to a five-year, $230.5 million extension in 2022, is in doubt. Murray this season played in only five games because of a foot injury, finishing on injured reserve. A bulk of the fan base moved on from Murray months ago, and it appeared the Cardinals did as well. Did LaFleur convince the Cardinals that it’s worth keeping Murray, as awkward as that might be? Did he tell them he could win with journeyman Jacoby Brissett, who put up numbers in place of Murray and is under contract for one more season? Did he tell them they must draft a quarterback in April or sign someone else in free agency? LaFleur has been around different types of quarterbacks throughout his career — Johnny Manziel with the Cleveland Browns, Matt Ryan with the Falcons, Jimmy Garoppolo and Nick Mullens with the 49ers, Zach Wilson with the Jets and, of course, Matthew Stafford with the Rams. He should know what he needs for his West Coast offense to be effective. After dismissing Gannon, Bidwill suggested the right head coach could quickly reverse Arizona’s direction, just as Mike Vrabel did for the New England Patriots, Ben Johnson did for the Chicago Bears and Liam Coen did for the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s a nice thought, but all three teams were in a more secure place at quarterback. And none play in the NFC West, which this season was the best division in football.
Unlock full player intel
Go beyond the surface with trusted beat-writer insight on every player.
