Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett has been placed on the non-football injury list, coach Sean McVay said Wednesday, declining to disclose details.
“Out of respect for him and the situation I’m going to leave all the specifics and particulars in house,” said McVay, whose team is preparing for a game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at SoFi Stadum.
Bennett must miss four games. He would be eligible to return in Week 6, when the Rams play host to the Arizona Cardinals.
A fourth-round draft pick who had been projected as Matthew Stafford’s backup, Bennett was inactive for the season-opening victory over the Seattle Seahawks because of what the Rams listed as a shoulder injury. McVay said putting Bennett on the non-football injury list was not related to the shoulder issue.
Brett Rypien was elevated to the roster against the Seahawks and will continue as the backup, McVay said.
Bennett won consecutive national titles with Georgia before the Rams selected him to be a backup and possible successor for Stafford. Rams scouts said they vetted Bennett and that he provided mature responses to questions regarding a January incident in Texas, where he was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication.
Bennett showed promise during preseason games against the Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders but struggled mightily in the final preseason game against the Denver Broncos.
Asked how Bennett’s current situation affects the Rams as an organization, McVay replied, “I think there are certain things that are a lot bigger than that.”
