Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett has been placed on the non-football injury list, coach Sean McVay said Wednesday.
McVay declined to disclose details.
“Out of respect for him and the situation I’m going to leave all the specifics and particulars in house and want to be able to do that out of respect for that situation,” said McVay, whose team is preparing for a game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at SoFi Stadum.
Bennett is on the NFI Reserve list, meaning he must miss four games. He would be eligible to return in Week 6, when the Rams play host to the Arizona Cardinals.
Bennett, a fourth-round draft pick who had been projected as Matthew Stafford’s backup, 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’s placement 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 in that role, McVay said.
McVay said he had spoken with Bennett about the situation.
Bennett won consecutive national titles with Georgia before the Rams selected him to be a potential back-up and possible successor for Stafford. Rams scouts said they had vetted Bennett, and that he had provided mature responses in regard to a January incident in Texas, where he was arrested for suspicion of public intoxication.
Bennett showed promise at times 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 again declined to provide specifics.
“I think there are certain things that are a lot bigger than that,” he said. “The fortunate thing for us is that Brett Rypien has been in house. … He was the backup last week and he’s going to continue to be in that situation until anything changes on that note.”
