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Los Angeles Rams News & Rumors

Rams’ Von Miller To Explore Free Agency

February 13th, 2022 at 1:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Von Miller would like to stay with the Rams, but he still intends to explore his options in free agency, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (Twitter link). So, while the Rams may explore early extensions with other stars, Miller will see what else is out there.

[RELATED: OBJ Wants To Stay, Willing To Take Less?]

Miller is in the final year of the six-year, $114MM deal he signed with the Broncos back in 2016. Between that and his rookie pact, the veteran edge rusher has never explored the open market. This time, he intends to take full advantage. According to Garafolo, Miller believes that he has multiple years of quality football to offer teams as he looks ahead to his 33rd birthday on March 26.

The Rams would surely like to keep Miller, though their cap situation will be tough to navigate. As it stands, they’re projected to be $14MM+ over the cap for 2022. That’s without counting the expiring contracts of Miller or Odell Beckham Jr. . Meanwhile, they also plan to chat with Matthew Stafford about an extension that would take him beyond 2022, as noted by the NFL Network trio of Garafolo, Ian Rapoport, and Tom Pelissero. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Miller will be leaving Los Angeles, and he’s already gone on record to say that he’d like to stay with the NFC champs.

Between his seven regular season games with the Broncos and eight Rams contests, Miller tallied 9.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and 50 total stops in 2021. His presence has been felt in the playoffs too, with 12 tackles, one forced (and recovered) fumble, and a dozen tackles. Now, he’ll try to add to those totals in the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, OBJ has indicated that he’d be willing to take a hometown discount from the Rams, rather than chasing the biggest payday possible.

Sean McVay, Zac Taylor In Line For Extensions; Latest On Rams’ Coaching Staff

February 13th, 2022 at 10:33am CST by Rory Parks

Rams HC Sean McVay and Bengals HC Zac Taylor, who will be squaring off in Super Bowl LVI tonight, will be in line for contract extensions this offseason, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

We had already heard that Cincinnati was planning a new deal for Taylor, who has only one year left on his contract. Schefter does, however, remind us that Taylor — the former McVay disciple — is presently the lowest-paid head coach in the NFL, with a $3.75MM annual salary (Twitter link). Obviously, that will change soon.

McVay, meanwhile, was recently the subject of some idle speculation that he was contemplating leaving the coaching ranks, but he has put those rumors to bed. He is under contract through 2023 as a result of the extension he signed in 2019, a deal that elevated him from one of the league’s lowest-paid head coaches to a salary that, per Joe Rivera of the Sporting News, is believed to be in the $8.5MM ballpark. Another extension might mean an eight-figure annual income for McVay.

The 36-year-old head coach has compiled a 55-26 regular season record, three NFC West titles, and two NFC championships during his five-year run. The success that he and his clubs have enjoyed have made other teams anxious to poach his staffers, and that has happened again in 2022, with OC Kevin O’Connell set to become head coach of the Vikings and secondary coach/passing game coordinator Ejiro Evero heading to Denver to become the Broncos’ defensive coordinator.

As Schefter reports in a full-length piece, O’Connell is likely to bring Rams tight ends coach/passing game coordinator Wes Phillips with him to Minnesota to serve as the Vikes’ offensive coordinator or passing game coordinator. Schefter names Kentucky OC Liam Coen — a Rams staffer from 2018-20 — as a “prime candidate” to replace O’Connell, though RB coach Thomas Brown could also garner consideration for the soon-to-be-vacant OC job. Yet another candidate is Greg Olson, who spent the last four seasons as the Raiders’ OC but who was the Rams’ QB coach in 2017, McVay’s first season as HC.

Whether it’s to become Los Angeles’ new OC or to reprise his role as QB coach, Olson is expected to rejoin McVay’s staff in 2022.

Sean McVay Plans To Coach In 2022

February 12th, 2022 at 10:38pm CST by Ely Allen

In the run-up to Super Bowl LVI, media pundits have attempted to add steam to a long-running rumor: that Rams’ head coach Sean McVay has been considering working as a television analyst, leaving coaching in the rearview. After comments made by McVay in the team’s final media availability yesterday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN wrote an article tying those comments to the rumor. 

McVay answered a media question saying that he “won’t make it” if he’s coaching until he’s 60. When asked to elaborate, McVay expounded on the idea, speaking on things he hopes to focus on in life.

“I’m gonna be married this summer, I want to have a family and I think being able to find that balance but also be able to give the time necessary. I have always had a dream about being able to be a father and I can’t predict the future, you know,” McVay postulated.

He continued, “I don’t really know. I know I love football and I’m so invested in this thing and I’m in the moment right now. But, at some point, too, if you said what do you want to be able to do? I want to be able to have a family and I want to be able to spend time with them.”

McVay went on about the lessons he’s learned from watching his father and grandfather. McVay’s grandfather, John, was an NFL head coach in the 1970s for the Giants. He served as an executive in the 49ers’ front office for two decades, starting in 1980 and eventually became San Francisco’s general manager in 1998. Sean claimed his father, Tim, would have been an “unbelievable coach,” but, seeing the time his own father had missed due to the rigorous schedule of an NFL club leader, he decided he would rather spend that time with his family.

“So, I always remember that and, at some point, I want to be able to have a family,” McVay went on. “So, that’s why I say that. But…you’ll probably be talking to me when I’m 61 doing this stuff. Who knows?”

Somehow, these sentiments have led to speculation that McVay may hang up the whistle at the ripe old age of 36. McVay quickly put these rumors to bed, texting NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport to ensure that he is “committed to this team and coaching.” Rapoport reports that McVay intends to coach the Rams “in the 2022 season and beyond.”

One day, McVay’s main focus, like his father’s, will switch to his family and to being a dad. It appears that this will not be the case for several more seasons to come, but if McVay’s comments to Rapoport are true, it certainly won’t be the case come Monday, regardless of the result of tomorrow’s game.

Rams OT Andrew Whitworth Considering Retirement?

February 12th, 2022 at 10:06am CST by Ben Levine

Andrew Whitworth previously indicated that he wouldn’t retire following the season. However, when asked if he’d consider hanging up his cleats if the Rams win the Super Bowl, the left tackle hinted that he would think about calling it a career.

“What an unreal way to walk off,” Whitworth said when asked if he’d retire following a Super Bowl victory (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter). “I don’t think there’s anything else I would have to do.”

This runs counter to what we heard in December. Then, Whitworth said he wanted to keep playing for as long as possible, cautioning that he’d only retire if “the Rams can’t afford me” or “it doesn’t work out for the both of us for me to be back.” Whitworth is under contract through the 2022 season, when his cap hit rises from its current figure of $5.67MM to $14.67MM.

At that time, the 16-year veteran had just become the first left tackle to start an NFL game at the age of 40, and he was one of only two active players this year older than 40 (along with Tom Brady).

A Bengals second-round pick in 2006, Whitworth played in Cincinnati for the first 11 years of his career. The four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All Pro has been with the Rams since 2017 and has consistently been one of the league’s pass protectors. Now, he’ll be looking to secure his first Super Bowl ring against his former squad, and a win could end up being the cherry on top of a standout career.

Odell Beckham Jr. Wants To Stay With Rams 

February 11th, 2022 at 9:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Odell Beckham Jr. has a rough idea of what he wants to do next season. As he gets set for the Super Bowl, the star wide receiver says he’s hoping to remain with the Rams. 

[RELATED: OBJ Had Interest In Patriots, Saints]

“This place, it feels good in my heart,” OBJ said (Twitter link via Nick Shook of NFL.com). “It feels like a home.”

Beckham even went so far as to say that he would take a little less to stay in Los Angeles. “Yeah, of course,” Beckham said when asked whether he’d be open to a hometown discount.

Beckham, still only 29, has posted 19 grabs for 236 yards and a touchdown so far in the playoffs. And, while his 27/305 showing in the second half of the regular season wasn’t in line with his best work, he did register five TDs in his eight regular season games for the Rams. Some say that Beckham has been a diva in the past but, this year, he’s embraced his role as the No. 2 WR alongside Cooper Kupp (in Robert Woods’ stead).

The Rams surely feel the same way, but they’ll have to work some cap magic in order to keep OBJ in the fold. As of this writing, they’re projected to be roughly $14MM over the limit in March. Fortunately for the Rams, Beckham seems willing to meet them somewhere in the middle.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/11/22

February 11th, 2022 at 5:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are today’s reserve/futures deals signed around the league:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Rams Move Tyler Higbee, Joe Noteboom To IR; Darrell Henderson, Sebastian Joseph-Day Back On Roster

February 11th, 2022 at 3:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams are on track to see some familiar faces in uniform Sunday. The anticipated activations of Darrell Henderson and Sebastian Joseph-Day took place Friday.

But the NFC champions are now certain to be without Tyler Higbee and backup offensive lineman Joe Noteboom. The Rams placed both on IR to make room for Henderson and Joseph-Day. The sprained MCL Higbee suffered in the NFC championship game prevented him from practicing this week.

While the Bengals are likely to see C.J. Uzomah return to action after his championship-round injury, the Rams will be forced to use backups. Kendall Blanton and second-year cog Brycen Hopkins are the only other active-roster tight ends for Los Angeles. The former made key contributions against the 49ers, catching five passes for 57 yards. This came after Blanton scored a touchdown against the Buccaneers. Higbee’s absence will move Blanton into a key auxiliary role in the passing game.

This would have been Higbee’s second Super Bowl. He played against the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII but did not catch a pass. This season, the Rams turned to Higbee more frequently, having let Gerald Everett walk in free agency. Higbee finished with 61 receptions for 560 yards and five touchdowns this season.

Noteboom has served as Andrew Whitworth‘s backup for the past two seasons. He stepped in for the 40-year-old left tackle starter against the Bucs but did not play in the NFC championship game. A chest injury will wrap Noteboom’s season early. A 2018 third-round pick, Noteboom is set to be a free agent next month. Whitworth returned for the 49ers matchup and will make his Super Bowl debut Sunday.

Henderson also suffered an MCL sprain and has not played since Week 16. While the third-year running back started for most of this season, his role almost certainly will be minimized upon return. Sony Michel had begun to eat into Henderson’s workload late in the season, and Cam Akers has since made his return to action. Still, the Rams will soon have a deep backfield for Super Bowl LVI. It will be the first time Henderson, Akers and Michel will each be available.

Joseph-Day has not played since Week 7, having suffered a chest injury that required surgery. The third-year interior D-lineman has been a Rams starter for most of his career. Prior to going down in October, Joseph-Day had registered a career-high three sacks. This stands to bolster L.A.’s depth up front and present an embattled Bengals offensive line with another challenge.

Darrell Henderson, Sebastian Joseph-Day Likely To Return For Super Bowl?

February 8th, 2022 at 8:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two Rams regulars are perhaps ready to re-emerge come Super Bowl Sunday. Sean McVay is optimistic both Darrell Henderson and Sebastian Joseph-Day will suit up against the Bengals.

Joseph-Day has been a Rams starter since his career began, but the third-year defensive lineman has been out since Week 7 because of a chest injury. Joseph-Day underwent surgery in November but returned to practice before the Rams’ divisional-round game.

Henderson, Joseph-Day and cornerback Robert Rochell returned to practice Jan. 21. The trio must be activated from IR by Friday in order to play in Super Bowl LVI.

Joseph-Day tallied a career-high three sacks in his seven-game season. The interior defensive lineman being in uniform Sunday would certainly be a bonus for a Rams team that is largely healthy going into the franchise’s fifth Super Bowl opportunity.

Los Angeles’ starting running back for much of this season, Henderson sustained an MCL sprain in Week 16 against the Vikings. Sony Michel had cut into Henderson’s workload, and Cam Akers made a quicker-than-expected return from his July Achilles tear. Still, the Rams having Henderson available would help their cause. The third-year back averaged a career-high 4.6 yards per carry this season, rushing for 688 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games.

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