1:58 PM on Aug 10, 2024 CDT — Updated 15 minutes ago

Update:

This is a developing story that will be updated.

Stetson Bennett has not taken a game snap since the Rams’ final preseason game last year at Denver.

So the quarterback is looking forward to Sunday’s preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium.

“I’m excited to play football again,” Bennett said.

Bennett, a two-national champion at Georgia and 2023 fourth-round draft pick, struggled in that defeat at Denver. Soon after, the Rams placed him on the NFL’s nonfootball injury/illness list and he spent the season away from the team.

During the spring, Bennett rejoined the Rams for offseason workouts, acknowledged that he had dealt with mental-health issues and worked his way back into a position group that includes starter Matthew Stafford and backup Jimmy Garoppolo.

Stafford and other starters will not play in preseason games, and coach Sean McVay said Friday he had not decided whether Garoppolo would play.

Regardless, Bennett is expected to get the majority of work, while McVay cedes play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.

Bennett has “a nice swagger and a charisma about himself that is fun to watch,” McVay said. On Sunday, McVay wants to see Bennett command the huddle, manage the offense and enjoy the opportunity.

“When I’ve seen him at his best, he’s having fun and that’s really consistent with all players,” McVay said. “So just go cut it loose, play and enjoy it.

“I thought we felt that in the first preseason game, a little bit last year when he was flashing and doing those kinds of things. So that’s what I’m looking forward to seeing.”

Bennett said “fun for me” is being prepared and executing plays.

“It’s not running around and skipping and jumping,” he said. “It’s playing quarterback — playing it well and throwing good passes and making good decisions.”

After a joint practice with the Cowboys on Thursday, McVay said he was leaning toward not playing Garoppolo, but would have a conversation with the veteran to gauge whether he wanted to play before making a decision.

Under normal circumstances — McVay does not play starters or other key players during the preseason — it would not be an issue. But Garoppolo is suspended for the first two regular-season games for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substances policy while playing for the Las Vegas Raiders. So the preseason is Garoppolo’s only opportunity to take game snaps before a Sept. 22 game against the San Francisco 49ers.

“I’m pretty open either way,” Garoppolo, who began his career with the New England Patriots, said of playing during the preseason. “I’ve been on both sides of it. With the Patriots, you kind of never knew if you were going to play or if you weren’t going to play, so I’m always ready.

“Whatever [McVay] decides I’ll be ready for. I think it’s good, though, to get out there and let the guys feel you in the huddle. It’s just different, that game-day feeling and the energy of being out there. You try to replicate it, but it’s just different.”

If he does not play during the preseason, Garoppolo said he would be prepared when eligible in Week 3.

“It comes back pretty quickly,” he said. “It’s more about just getting on the same page with the guys, the receivers especially, the timing, things like that. But we do so much of it out here, all those little things, they’re adding up.”

Other things to watch for Sunday:

NORTH TEXAS – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports that more than 33,000 veterans are homeless in the United States, including about 4,000 in Texas.

A North Texas nonprofit organization is helping to change that by providing free job training in a trade to help veterans experiencing homelessness and housed veterans looking for a good-paying career.

The Homeless Veterans Services of Dallas, also known as the Veterans Resource Center, is a safe haven for many veterans, including retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Devoe Pelcher.

“I served in Germany, and from there I went to Korea,” Pelcher said.

Pelcher served the country from 1978 to 1987 and still has vivid memories of surviving combat.

“That was stressful because you never know when something is going to happen. I used to wake up thinking I was on fire, and I was so glad that I wasn’t when I woke up,” Pelcher said.

Pelcher is learning how to turn the old into new by crafting works of art from discarded scraps of metal.

“There was no way I was going to be able to pay for school,” Pelcher said. “My life was totally changed when I got that certificate that I completed the welding course.”

The veterans take welding classes taught by Dallas College instructors five days a week. Homeless Veterans Services of Dallas President Ken Watterson said the classes originally started out for veterans experiencing homelessness, but now about 10% of veterans in the class are unhoused.

“It doesn’t cost the veteran anything but his time. It’s a 10-week program. We pick 12 veterans at a time. So far, we’ve had over 500 veterans graduate from the program,” Watterson said.

The Texas Veterans Commission helps to provide funding for the program.

“It’s a mix of homeless veterans and veterans who are looking for that specific job skill,” TVC Commissioner Chuck Wright said.

The veterans come out of the program certified in a high-paying trade.

“Welding is a trade that is well needed and well paid, and that’s what I’m looking for, the money. The M-O-N-E-Y,” Pelcher said.

“Plumbers, electricians, welders, it doesn’t take long to get into the $80,000 to $100,000 a year range,” Wright said.

The veterans pick pieces of scrap metal and turn them into works of art. They also create practical projects as they transform the metal and their lives.

Retired radio operator Breeana Lopez served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2015 to 2018.

“It’s a lot of ups and downs. I really enjoyed it though and am thankful I went through it,” Lopez said. “It’s a brother and sisterhood.”

She plans to use her welding skills to sell unique items at the state fair, and she made one-of-a-kind gifts from scratch for her wife.

“It makes me feel great. I’ve always been the one that I love to help out,” Lopez said. “I try to help out where I can, and I love making things.”

“The life lessons that we need, the trades that we learn, they pour so much in me. I need to pour something out,” Pelcher said.

Pelcher feels ready to pick up what’s discarded and create magic in his community as he steps confidently into his future.

The veterans also get a forklift certification in addition to their welding training.