Who Should I Start? Skylar Thompson or Stetson Bennett IV

Friday, August 22, 11:36 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Skylar Thompson completed 11 of his 13 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown in Thursday night's 19-10 preseason victory against the Carolina Panthers. Thompson took over for Mason Rudolph in the second quarter and orchestrated three consecutive scoring drives. He capped his opening series with a perfect five-for-five passing line, highlighted by a 24-yard strike to Lance McCutcheon in the end zone to put Pittsburgh ahead. Thompson's strong play this summer has likely been enough to earn him a roster spot somewhere, though it's uncertain at this point if it will be in Pittsburgh. The aforementioned Rudolph is likely to enter the season as the team's primary backup behind Aaron Rodgers, but if the Steelers place rookie Will Howard (finger) on IR, they could opt to keep Thompson as their QB3 or explore trade options.

Saturday, August 16, 11:34 PM

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett IV completed 28 of his 40 pass attempts for 324 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception during Saturday's preseason win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He also took a sack and rushed for four yards. Bennett led four successful scoring drives, including a game-winning touchdown drive that put the Rams ahead with just 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter. He has played the entirety of the Rams' first two preseason games, totaling five touchdowns and just one interception. He has a firm grasp on the third-string quarterback role behind Matthew Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo, and given that both of those players are older veterans who could be near the ends of their careers, Bennett's strong preseason could bode well as he auditions for a larger role in the future.