Wednesday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed (off Raiders’ practice squad): CB Sam Webb
Denver Broncos
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
- Placed on IR: S Caden Sterns (story)
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE Michael Dogbe
- Promoted from practice squad: P Ty Zentner
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Suspended to begin 2024 season: TE Leonard Taylor
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on non-football illness list: QB Stetson Bennett
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Lynn Bowden Jr., DE Kyle Phillips
- Placed on IR: DE Payton Turner (story)
Taylor was placed on IR by the Jaguars in July, guaranteeing that he would not see the field during the 2023 campaign. He has also been suspended for the first two games of next season, though, PHNX’s Howard Balzer notes. The 24-year-old has yet to see regular season NFL game action in his career.
Bennett has been dealing with a shoulder injury, but the NFI designation is used for injuries (or, in this case, illnesses) which arise separate from football-related activities. When asked for specifics about the fourth-round rookie’s circumstances, head coach Sean McVay said, via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, “out of respect for him and the situation, I’m going to leave all of those specifics and particulars in-house” (subscription required). The Rams will move forward with Matthew Stafford as their starter under center, and Brett Rypien available as an option to be elevated from the practice squad.
Was there ever any possibility of Bennet displacing Stafford?
About the same as any other rookie coming in on a team with an high-paid aging veteran at QB.
Bennett was brought in to potentially replace Stafford under a few scenarios, all dealing with having a super cheap backup QB to help with their cap as opposed to a vet QB at backup.
1) Stafford gets hurt basically blowing up the season.
2) Stafford stays healthy but Rams out of contention and a contender who needs a QB might help the Rams offload some of Stafford’s contract to get the rebuild going.
3) At some point in the future, the Rams will either let Stafford stay forever (likely only if he gets them another Lombardi trophy), or they will want to move on from him. Almost certainly would not be for at least a couple of years, and maybe never given his cap/dead cap numbers, but if the Falcons could move Ryan’s contract, then the Rams could likely move Stafford’s.