THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Stetson Bennett IV arrived at Rams camp refreshed. He’s past the usual rookie adjustment period. He’s past his mysterious sabbatical of a season ago. He’s back to just being a quarterback.

“It’s a lot different,” Bennett told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution following a Rams practice Thursday. “I’m more focused, into it. It feels like it’s my team now. Not ‘my’ team, but it feels like I’m a part of the team. Not that it didn’t last year, but last year was such a weird year. Excited to just keep going and do the best I can do for them.”

The Rams gushed about Bennett a year ago at this time. They drafted him in the fourth round following his prestigious Georgia career that saw him rise from walk-on to two-time national champion and Heisman Trophy finalist. Bennett left Athens arguably the best quarterback in school history, but undoubtedly one of the great stories of all-time.

He was never perceived as a high-end prospect due to physical traits, but the Rams were sold. If Bennett wasn’t going to be Matthew Stafford’s successor, he’d at least be a trustworthy backup. The team loved his background: the resilience, the resume, the play making, the moxie; all the reasons Bennett soared in Athens.

But Bennett was largely unseen during his first professional campaign. He was unavailable during the Rams’ first game due to a shoulder injury. Afterward, he was placed on the non-football injury list, with coach Sean McVay saying some things are “a little bit bigger and more important” than football.

Bennett missed the season, disappearing from the public eye outside a couple appearances at Georgia games. McVay provided occasional updates throughout the year, but the vagueness invited speculation. Bennett later revealed the secretive absence was mental health related, though he never delved into specifics.

In an interview with News19 in Alabama, general manager Les Snead described Bennett as an “exhausted human being,” explaining that his collegiate journey would take a toll on anyone. This was an opportunity for a mental and physical reset, which the Rams supported.

Bennett still prefers not to get into details around his leave. He clarified to the AJC it was not alcohol related (which had been common conjecture among outsiders). But he reiterated it was productive time sidelined.

While the Rams were pursuing another playoff berth, Bennett was sequestered in his hometown of Blackshear, spending his first fall away from football since his youth. He later resumed working out in Texas in preparation for the 2024-25 season.

“I think I benefited from it tremendously,” he said. “I think I’m more clear-minded, more focused, all the way here. We have a sign in there that says, ‘Be present.’ And I think I’m present. I try my best to be every day. So I do think I benefited from it.

“I come from a great foundation. I wouldn’t be here - I don’t know that anyone would be here if it wasn’t for where they came from. I had a bunch of people (contact me). At first maybe I didn’t reach back out because I was – I just had to separate from everything for a little bit. But tremendous support everywhere from Georgia to the hometown to out here. Really all over. It was pretty cool.”

Bennett heard the suggestions and speculation surrounding his absence. He didn’t feel the need to address it.

“People are going to do that and there’s nothing you can do about it,” he said. “It’s just part of it. I knew that going into it, that people were going to speculate on what was going on and all that stuff. I really didn’t care. You can’t take care of yourself if you’re worried about what other people are going to think about or paint some kind of narrative out there. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen.”

All that’s behind him now. Bennett is a Rams quarterback again, dedicated to truly beginning and maintaining his professional career. Rams employees rave about him, lauding his personality and charisma. That won’t surprise anyone who’s observed the quarterback in recent years.

One Rams staffer told the AJC that Bennett has “kept his head down” and impressed while still displaying just enough of the charming cockiness he showed in Athens. The general view is that Bennett seems much more comfortable and happier than when he departed the team last fall. McVay said earlier this month Bennett “made tremendous growth.” There’s optimism he’s trending in the right direction.

“That’s my guy,” said Chargers rookie receiver Ladd McConkey, who played two seasons with Bennett. “We don’t talk too much; we’re busy, training camp going right now. But we had a (joint) practice the other day and it was so good to see him, talk with him for a few minutes and catch up. He’s a great dude. He deserves the world. I’m so happy for him.”

Bennett is in a better place. His situation, though, isn’t as straightforward as it was in the 2023 preseason.

While the Rams have spoken well of Bennett’s progress this summer, their actions indicated they wanted another option. Los Angeles signed veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, the long-time 49ers signal caller who had a disastrous stint with the Raiders last season, as their backup quarterback this spring. They paid him around $3.2 million guaranteed with incentives that could maximize the deal at $12 million.

With the Rams trying to win in the present, it was logical to want proven insurance behind Stafford, who’s aging and been dinged up. But the signing left Bennett in a murkier spot. He nonetheless viewed it as an opportunity to learn.

“You’ve got two great quarterbacks who’ve proven it over and over in the league,” he said. “I think Matthew is in year 16, Jimmy is in year 11. They’ve done it different ways and similar ways. I think any time you can learn from people who are like that, who’ve come from different spots than you, and have done it better than you for a longer time, it’s really cool to watch.”

Garoppolo will serve a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. When he returns, he’ll presumably take the No. 2 mantle, leaving Bennett two absences away from the field if he’s the third quarterback. “(Bennett) has got to continue to improve, and we’re still in evaluation mode,” McVay recently said.

It’s unclear if or when Bennett will start an NFL game, for the Rams or anyone else. He would’ve had his chance last year when Stafford missed two games, alas he was unavailable. Rams fans have only seen him deliver mixed results in the preseason. Even last weekend, he threw four interceptions against Dallas before – in keeping with the theme of his resilience – leading a game-winning drive.

“When he gets out there, he’s a gamer,” McConkey said. “He loves football. When he’s out there, it’s just so fun to watch him enjoy himself again. He led that touchdown drive the other night, heck yeah.”

Perhaps Bennett seizes the underdog role once again. Maybe some doors open for him. Stafford, unfortunately, has dealt with injuries. He left Wednesday’s practice with hamstring tightness. Garoppolo has long been injury prone himself, and it’s not like his recent play would have him confused for Johnny Unitas. The Rams are good enough that there might be times they play backups later in a couple wins, too.

Importantly, Sneed and McVay believe in Bennett, just as Kirby Smart did at Georgia (even when some called for a quarterback change as recently as December 2021).

“I wouldn’t say I think about it a lot, but there’s not that burden where if they didn’t believe in you,” Bennett said. “It’s a feeling of easiness, which is probably the best thing somebody could do for you. It’s knowing you have somebody to count on, that security, that stability. The freedom to go be yourself. That’s the biggest thing.”

Certainly, there are conceivable avenues to Bennett taking the field. But he must be positioned to take advantage of those opportunities. This year, he says he will be. His rookie year was an unintended reset. Now it’s back to football, Bennett’s comfort zone.

“I’m doing well,” he said. “I go to work every day and I can’t speak for everybody, but for me, it’s always better when I’m striving for something that’s bigger than myself, whatever that might mean. Right now, it’s football with all these guys and it’s getting better every day. I’m in a good spot.”