Stetson Bennett has made a career out of beating the odds, and the former Georgia quarterback is up against them once again.

Bennett is competing for the backup quarterback duties on the Los Angeles Rams with first-round 2026 NFL draft selection Ty Simpson.

“Stetson has been in a good situation in Los Angeles, but sometimes the business side of things can get in the way,” said Jake Fromm, a former UGA and NFL quarterback who played ahead of Bennett on the 2017 and 2019 Bulldogs’ teams.

“There’s a lot invested in Ty to get up to speed, get repetitions and, at the end of the day, play quarterback for the Rams.”

To Fromm’s point, Simpson is in the first year of a four-year rookie contract deal worth $25.4 million, while Bennett is in the final year of a rookie contract worth $4.5 million.

“It’s not impossible for Stetson to overcome,” Fromm said, “but it’s a lot.”

Reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford has had a healthy offseason and will start for Los Angeles, barring injury.

Stafford, entering his 18th season, is not expected to see much if any action in the exhibition games, however, leaving the door open for competition between Simpson and Bennett.

Rams coach Sean McVay gave an encouraging report on Bennett after OTAs, noting “tremendous growth” from the two-time College Football Playoff National Championship MVP.

“He’s earning the confidence of his teammates in terms of commanding the huddle,” McVay said on the Rams team website. “Then, he’s done a lot of good stuff in terms of reading with his feet.”

Bennett’s mobility is well-documented, as his scrambling ability and throws outside of the pocket have led to big plays throughout his career. But Simpson has made progress, too, and Fromm said that’s what the Rams will be watching for as they assess their quarterback situation when workouts resume at the end of July.

“I think, quite frankly, a lot depends on how Ty Simpson does — does he grasp things quickly, how capable and how much trust does the front office have in Ty, if he can go in and operate the offense,” said Fromm, who was part of four NFL teams over four seasons after being drafted by the Bills in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft.

“I think a lot of it is out of Stet’s hands, but you know he’ll go in and compete and do the best he can.”

The Rams will likely carry three quarterbacks, and with former Los Angeles backup Jimmy Garoppolo an unrestricted free agent considering retirement, there’s a chance Bennett could stay with the team even if Simpson is awarded the backup job.

Fromm knows from his experience in the NFL how unpredictable quarterback situations can be.

“You never know in the league what they are looking for, or what fits the mold of the room,” Fromm said. “Do they want a guy to provide competition, or a guy that has a ton of experience with other teams to be more of a counselor (to Simpson)?

“You see a lot of teams attack the quarterback room in different ways.”

Indeed, there’s a chance Bennett might ultimately get traded to another team for a more experienced backup before the season starts. Former Georgia national championship quarterback Buck Belue advocated for the Falcons to acquire Bennett earlier in the offseason.

Fromm doesn’t rule out any team.

“You never know,” Fromm said. “There could be a team on the opposite side of the country that has had their eye on (Bennett) for a long time but hasn’t had an opportunity to get him.”

Bennett was 41-of-69 passing (59%) or 437 yards with two touchdown passes and five interceptions in the 2024 exhibition season. Bennett appeared much sharper last year in exhibition games last season, completing 44 of 64 passes (69%) for 512 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.

Bennett projects to get a great deal of action when Los Angeles opens its exhibition slate Aug. 15 at Kansas City before returning to Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium to face New Orleans (Aug. 22) and the Los Angeles Chargers (Aug. 27).

“Neither Bennett nor Simpson were able to stand out ahead of the other in these (practice) moments, as both worked on crossers, slants, outs and other basic routes, and neither produced much down the field …” Nate Atkins recently reported for the Athletic.

“Time will tell whether Simpson or Bennett are ready to fill a void the Rams consider significant with Stafford’s need to take time off and with the risk from each time Stafford takes a hit.”