According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Los Angeles Rams view quarterback Matthew Stafford’s future with the franchise as a “year-long proposition.”

Stafford is on the back nine of his career and will likely hang up his boots sooner rather than later, leaving the Rams with a huge void to fill when the time comes.

To counter Stafford’s looming departure, the Rams spent a fourth-round pick on two-time national champion Stetson Bennett IV from the University of Georgia. The latter, however, appears far from ready to take over the former’s reins, if his preseason debut in 2024 is any indication.

Bennett started Los Angeles’ inaugural exhibition game against the Dallas Cowboys, and it was a performance to forget — to put it kindly. He completed 24 of his 38 passes for 224 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions, getting sacked twice.

Impressively, he led a game-winning touchdown drive in the closing stages of the fourth quarter to give the Rams a 13-12 victory, but his struggles during the remaining 26 minutes that Los Angeles had the ball should not be overlooked.

Good grief! What a disheartening performance. Even a game-winning score in the final seconds won’t save Bennett’s terrible game.

Rams head coach Sean McVay recently said Bennett would get a ton of playing time during the preseason, and now we see why. Apparently, the 26-year-old needs all the reps he can get.

After a lengthy absence due to a reportedly undisclosed “mental health issue” during his rookie year, Bennett is back with the Rams. Unfortunately, being away from the team for so long has stunted his development. Considering that he wasn’t a promising prospect despite his success at the collegiate level, this has only set him back further.

Drafting Bennett is the most significant measure Los Angeles has taken to address Stafford’s inevitable retirement. Still, the second-year pro’s performance against Dallas should motivate the Rams to continue making moves to replace the two-time Pro Bowl gunslinger.