Sean McVay

Rams HC Sean McVay Committed To Remaining In Current Post Long-Term

The 2023 offseason has seen a number of changes so far for the Rams, but one constant will be head coach Sean McVay remaining on the sidelines in his current post. After consecutive years of his future being in doubt, the 37-year-old spoke on staying committed to Los Angeles for the foreseeable future.

McVay drew considerable interest from TV networks in each of the past two offseasons, with the decorated coach having dealt with a wide range of different issues recently. The Rams won Super Bowl LVI, but their title defense included a myriad of injuries and a 5-12 season. He took time away to contemplate his future this winter, but ultimately decided to extend his tenure to a seventh season at the helm. A repeat of the recent uncertainty surrounding his intentions is something he is now looking to avoid.

What I didn’t want to do was make a decision that it comes up every year,” McVay said, via USA Today’s Tyler Dragon“You want to make sure you’re making a decision that’s in alignment for years to come and not an every year type of deal… There are a lot of people you feel a great deal of responsibility to do right by them and to do a great job within the framework of your responsibilities. I’m really committed to not having this become a story every single year.”

McVay owns a .612 regular season winning percentage and has a pair of Super Bowl appearances on his resume. That success is expected to be replaced by a transition period for the franchise, though, following their aggressive moves in recent years. General manager Les Snead recently spoke about the “remodeling” the team is undergoing, with quarterback Matthew Staffordreceiver Cooper Kupp and defensive tackle Aaron Donald named as the only veterans deemed to be untouchable for potential trades.

Those three players, along with Snead and McVay, each signed new deals last offseason. The latter faces the tall order of helping the team return to its past success under his guidance, but he has now publicly confirmed that his place will remain the sidelines for years to come.

“There was never a doubt whether you wanted to coach again,” he added. “It’s really just are you gonna be able to have the appropriate perspective to be the best version of yourself for the players and coaches. “I feel confident that can exist moving forward.”

NFC West Notes: Rams, Hopkins, Seahawks

Coming off disappointing seasons, the Cardinals and Rams may be looking to make high-profile cost cuts. DeAndre Hopkins and Jalen Ramsey may well be available in trades, with the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora noting deals involving the two former All-Pros will come down to “when” and they are moved and not “if.” Both Ramsey and Hopkins have already been traded, each moving from the AFC South to the NFC West — Ramsey in 2019 and Hopkins in 2020. Although Ramsey required two first-round picks to be pried from Jacksonville, La Canfora adds neither player should be expected to bring in the kind of haul fans would anticipate.

Both talents are signed to lucrative extensions. Ramsey’s five-year, $100MM deal (which set the cornerback market in 2020) runs through 2025. Hopkins’ $27.25MM contract runs through 2024. Ramsey, 28, should be expected to command more in a trade compared to Hopkins, 30. Coming off a suspension- and injury-limited 2022, latter has been rumored to be a possible trade chip. Several teams called the Cardinals on Hopkins at the deadline. Ramsey, however, has been a dependable piece in L.A. His exit would leave the Rams vulnerable at corner, considering they have rotated low-cost pieces around Ramsey at the position for years.

A Ramsey trade before June 1 is not especially palatable for the Rams, who are again projected to enter the offseason over the cap. Dealing the All-Pro talent after that date, however, would save the team $17MM. The Rams having not restructured Ramsey’s deal makes a trade something to monitor, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue notes (subscription required). Here is the latest from the NFC West:

  • This season’s Rams staff did not particularly appeal to Sean McVay by season’s end, Peter King of NBC Sports notes. Upon returning, McVay is expected to make staff changes. This may have been behind the Rams’ call to allow their position coaches to interview for other jobs without the threat of blocking the meeting. Whatever the reason, the Rams’ staff should look different in 2023. McVay also likely has a bit of regret of not taking a major TV job last year, per King, who adds no top-level gig was on the table for the six-year Rams HC this year.
  • The Rams will attempt to extend one of their UFA-to-be D-line starters (A’Shawn Robinson and Greg Gaines), Rodrigue adds, but probably will not keep both. A former sixth-round pick who has started for the past two seasons, Gaines appears likelier — per Rodrigue — to be the team’s higher priority. Robinson’s expected market value could price out the Rams, who have Aaron Donald making a cool $10MM more than any other interior D-lineman.
  • Jamal Adams, who suffered a torn quad tendon in Week 1, remains without a timetable, Pete Carroll said this week. Jordyn Brooks‘ ACL surgery is scheduled for Friday. The late-season ACL tear will make top Seahawks tackler a candidate to begin next season on the PUP list. Surgery could be in the cards for tight end Will Dissly, but he will first attempt to rehab his knee injury without a procedure (Twitter links via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta).
  • Despite issues in the first season under DC Clint Hurtt, the Seahawks are planning neither staff changes nor a move back to a 4-3 defense, Carroll said. Seattle, which brought in Hurtt and ex-Bears DC Sean Desai to install a Vic Fangio-style scheme, finished outside the top 20 in yards, points and DVOA this season.
  • The second-team All-Pro nod 49ers special-teamer George Odum received will increase his 2023 base salary by $250K, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Odum, who signed with the 49ers in 2022 after a Colts tenure, will also collect a $250K incentive for the All-Pro nod. Odum led the league with 21 special teams tackles. Attached to a three-year deal worth $5.7MM, Odum has become one of the NFL’s best special-teamers. He earned first-team All-Pro acclaim in 2020.

Sean McVay To Remain With Rams

The Rams are no longer awaiting word on Sean McVay‘s future. After rumblings he was going to leave after six seasons surfaced, McVay is shooting that talk down. He will come back.

McVay informed members of the Rams organization he plans to stay in place as the team’s head coach, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The team gave McVay space to make his decision, and he took a few days. Despite the Rams’ 5-12 finish and a run of injuries gutting their depth chart this season, the Super Bowl-winning HC will attempt to pick up the pieces in 2023.

Rams COO Kevin Demoff said the team had a contingency plan, with the Los Angeles Times’ Gary Klein indicating defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and tight ends coach Thomas Brown almost certainly resided as McVay fallback options. Both coaches are up for other positions, but each could also return as top McVay lieutenants next season. McVay is considering staff changes, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo add (via Twitter).

Still the youngest head coach in the NFL, McVay has received extensive interest from networks for prime analyst roles. Even part-time work would have satisfied certain networks, giving McVay a lucrative out from his Rams post. The wunderkind coach confirmed he is interested in pursuing a TV career at some point. Amazon and Fox wooed him last year, but he turned each down and signed an extension that made him one of the league’s highest-paid coaches. It appears the 36-year-old leader will stay on that contract and attempt a Rams reload.

A Sunday report pointed to McVay being likelier to step away, though The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue indicated some among the Rams believed he would ultimately come back (Twitter link). The Rams sent out an ominous message earlier this week, letting their assistants know lateral moves to other teams, as McVay pondered his future, would not be blocked. While it does sound like staff changes are coming — one we know will happen is at the offensive coordinator post, after Liam Coen returned to Kentucky — several key Rams staffers will likely be back.

McVay’s arrival in Los Angeles turned the Rams from the league’s worst passing offense to the NFL’s top scoring team, resulting in a 2017 playoff berth and Coach of the Year honors. Proving to be one of the modern game’s premier offensive minds, McVay accomplished that feat at 31, led the Rams to the Super Bowl at 32 and won it at 35, putting himself on a trajectory to become one of the game’s all-time greats — should he choose to stick around long enough to bolster his resume. The Rams are 60-38 under McVay, but they did just complete the worst Super Bowl title defense in history.

Last year, the Rams extended Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp. By December, none of those stars were available. The 2022 season flipped the Rams’ injury fortune, with offensive line setbacks also crushing the team. L.A. started four quarterbacks, including waiver claim Baker Mayfield. Stafford, 35 in February, said he has no plans to retire. The Rams prioritized a healthy Stafford offseason — after 2022’s featured nagging elbow trouble — and used Mayfield down the stretch. Donald, who joined Kupp as the drivers of the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI win last year, also made it clear McVay played a major role in his decision not to retire last year.

The Rams will face familiar problems in 2023: no first-round pick (they do have a second-rounder this year) and a cap-space figure projected to be near the bottom of the league. These issues have not deterred the McVay-Les Snead regime from continually fielding strong teams, but 2023 — when Kupp will join Donald and Stafford as over-30 standouts — may be more challenging.

McVay leaving the Rams could have brought an organization-altering change, considering the value he has presented the team over the past six years. Checking this box will be the most important, and the Rams can now move on to staff and roster matters as they attempt to assemble a fifth playoff team in the McVay era.

Rams Will Not Block Assistant Coach Moves; Frank Reich On OC Radar

Sean McVay has not confirmed he will return for a seventh season with the Rams, keeping the team in suspense. As the Rams wait on an answer, they will not stand in the way of any assistant who has an opportunity with another team.

The Rams will not block any assistant from leaving, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. While teams can no longer block position coaches from coordinator interviews, they can impede lateral moves. The Rams will not do so, adding more uncertainty as McVay determines his path.

Los Angeles has already lost multiple assistants, including offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who officially rejoined the University of Kentucky on Tuesday. Coen, who is now a two-time Rams and two-time Wildcats assistant, agreed to again become the SEC team’s OC weeks ago. Coen was the Rams’ third OC under McVay, following Kevin O’Connell and Matt LaFleur. The Rams went without an OC from 2018-19, following LaFleur’s move to the Titans. McVay’s presence minimizes the role of the Rams’ OC, but the team is eyeing an experienced play-caller for the position.

The Rams have shown some interest in ex-Colts HC Frank Reich for the job, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic tweets. Thomas Brown and Zac Robinson are internal candidates for the gig, per Rodrigue, though filling Coen’s post will obviously need to wait on McVay’s call. Arizona State had Brown on the radar for its HC job, and the Vikings interviewed him for their OC job last year. But the Rams’ tight ends coach remains in place. Robinson is the Rams’ passing-game coordinator; he has been with the team since 2019.

It would represent a major step down, role-wise, for Reich to join the Rams (assuming McVay stays). The five-year Colts coach said he wanted to be a head coach again, hopefully as soon as 2023, and teams have him on their radar. The Panthers are expected to interview Reich. Any coordinator overtures, which should emerge from other teams besides the Rams, will presumably need to wait on Reich’s latest HC carousel ride.

Reich, 61, would obviously provide the Rams with a wealth of experience, but it would be unusual for the longtime play-caller to accept a non-play-calling OC role. Reich did hold such a position in Philadelphia, however, with Doug Pederson calling the Eagles’ plays during Reich’s two-year stay on his staff. In Indianapolis, Reich called plays throughout his tenure. Prior to going to Philly, Reich served as the Chargers’ OC — also under an offense-oriented head coach, Mike McCoy — for two seasons.

Latest On Sean McVay’s Rams Future

JANUARY 8: Illustrating a notably different situation in McVay’s case, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports that the Super Bowl winner is leaning towards stepping away (video link). Specifically, he adds that members of the organization would be “more surprised if he came back than if he left.”

Glazer also predicts that McVay is not, in fact, likely to take a significant period of time to arrive at his ultimate decision. That stands in stark contrast to previous reporting on the matter, but will no doubt add to the speculation that a parting of ways could be imminent. In the event McVay does step aside, Glazer names defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as a candidate to replace him. When speaking to the media after today’s loss to the Seahawks, McVay declined to comment on his future, leaving his status in the air as the offseason begins in Los Angeles.

JANUARY 7: As the offseason approaches for non-playoff teams, speculation has once again ramped up that Rams head coach Sean McVay will be headed elsewhere in the near future. Regardless of what his next move will be, the Super Bowl winner will take time in the coming weeks to weigh his options.

McVay, 36, has continued to draw the interest of TV networks eyeing him as an addition to their broadcast teams. The possibility of a move from the sidelines to the booth was a top storyline for Los Angeles’ 2022 offseason, one in which a number of key players, general manager Les Snead and McVay himself each signed multi-year extensions.

Now, however, things are once again in danger of changing dramatically. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that McVay’s immediate future with the Rams “is in limbo” and that he will “take some time” following tomorrow’s season finale to determine his next steps. Ian Rapoport of Network confirms that the next few weeks will see the sixth-year HC spend time away from football “to consider his future” (video link).

Schefter notes that a number of events both on and off the field have taken their toll on McVay over the course of the past several months, beginning with the Rams’ Super Bowl victory last February. That result – coupled with the fact that a number of core pieces remained with the team during the offseason – led to considerable expectations once again in 2022. The Rams have fallen well short, though, going 5-11 to date amidst a slew of injuries and a substantial regression in efficiency on offense.

That has guaranteed the first losing season of McVay’s tenure, one which includes a .619 winning percentage in the regular season and another Super Bowl appearance aside from last year’s victory. Los Angeles faces a number of issues in the coming offseason after the disappointment of this campaign, as they are yet again without their first-round pick for the upcoming draft and in worse shape with respect to projected 2023 cap space than most teams.

McVay declined to comment on the Schefter report concerning his short-term future, but he confirmed earlier this week that he would be interested in a media role “down the line,” suggesting that a move to broadcasting could be less likely now than it was one year ago. In any event, his thought process in the weeks to come will be one of the league’s top storylines.

Rams HC Sean McVay Addresses Continued Television Rumors

Another season, another period of premature rumors that Rams head coach Sean McVay could leave the team for an opportunity to become an analyst on television. For the second straight year, the NFL’s youngest head coach is being asked to address television rumors heading into the team’s final game of the season, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN.

Unfortunately for McVay, while it’s still not expected to occur, his departure makes a little more sense this year after a season that, at best, will see the team with 11 losses this season. Again, it still doesn’t make much sense following the contract extension McVay signed this past offseason, but it makes a little more sense than right after he led his team to a Super Bowl. The Rams’ current record of 5-11 is setting up McVay’s worst season since taking over as head coach and marks his first losing season in the position.

McVay has acknowledged that the rumors aren’t totally unwarranted since he hasn’t “run away from the fact that, down the line or whenever that is, (that job is) something” he’d be interested in. For now, though, McVay attempted to put an end to the rumors that it will happen anytime soon, calling the interest “flattering” but reiterating that he wants to remain in his current position and is focused on that.

This response is much different than last year, when McVay seemed to fan the flames a bit with comments that he “won’t make it” coaching into his 60’s. He backed up those comments expressing his wishes in the future to have and spend time with a family. Following his Super Bowl LVI victory last season, though, McVay responded to a question asking whether he would return to Los Angeles in 2022 with a blunt, “We’ll see.” Two weeks later, McVay would reaffirm his commitment to returning to coach the Rams and would sign his extension in August, keeping him under contract through 2026.

McVay has been nothing but honest with questions about his future, allowing media members to run away with rumors on which he refuses to close the door. McVay insists that he will continue to be honest with the media about his future endeavors. It doesn’t change his love for coaching and the game of football, but it certainly won’t stop TV networks from attempting to draw him away from the game.

TV Networks Interested In Sean McVay

Amazon and FOX made pushes for Sean McVay last year. McVay passed and signed a new Rams deal, but networks are circling again.

NFL TV intend to pursue McVay as an in-game analyst or a studio presence, according to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports. This comes near the end of a Rams season that skidded off track quickly. Last week, the Rams became the first defending Super Bowl champion to lose 11 games.

Networks have eyed McVay for years, per McCarthy. The 36-year-old coach has a relationship with Al Michaels, who left NBC to lead Amazon’s Thursday-night coverage this year. The streaming service went with Kirk Herbstreit to team with Michaels this season, but it offered McVay a $20MM-per-year deal to jump to the booth. At the time, that was more than double McVay’s Rams contract. 49ers GM John Lynch also turned down a massive raise to move to Amazon.

Sean Payton did leave and join FOX. Though, the longtime Saints coach appears ready to re-enter his former profession. FOX also reached an agreement with Tom Brady — a 10-year, $375MM accord — for the Buccaneers quarterback to step into the network’s lead analyst role when he retires. Brady said recently a second retirement will be his last, but he is not certain to be ready for the booth venture this year.

A year later, McVay may be more receptive to a booth sabbatical. The Rams battled incessant injury problems this season, which will end with Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford on the sidelines. The defending Super Bowl champs rearmed themselves for a repeat, bringing Donald back into the fold via a landmark raise and extending both Kupp and Stafford. McVay called the Rams’ 2022 season “very humbling” this week.

Networks intend to roll out a red carpet for McVay, per McCarthy, even if the sixth-year Rams HC would want to join a three-person booth — a la Bruce Arians in 2018 — or work part-time as a studio analyst. Since Tony Romo‘s whopping CBS extension (worth $17.5MM per year) moved the goal posts for TV analysts, certain coaches are facing more complicated decisions on staying in the game or stepping into the media realm. McVay would certainly not be the first young-ish coach to leave football, though he is much younger than Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden or Dick Vermeil were when they left the profession initially.

The Rams ranked as the NFL’s worst passing offense in 2016; the McVay hire revived the team and did plenty for the league’s latest Los Angeles foray. The Rams are 4-for-6 in playoff berths under McVay and have qualified for two Super Bowls, but the perennially all-in team’s injury problems and perpetual lack of a first-round pick — this year’s goes to the Lions — will test McVay and GM Les Snead‘s ability to pick up the pieces this time around. If McVay walks, Snead will be tasked with replacing one of this era’s top offensive minds. That could set the Rams back significantly.

Sean McVay On Matthew Stafford’s Preseason Injury, 2023 Outlook

The Rams have little to play for in the remaining weeks of the 2022 season, one in which the team has fallen well short of expectations. They will all-but assuredly not have their starting quarterback available again this year due to his most recent injury, but one dating back to the summer was named as part of the reason for the defending champions’ struggles.

When speaking to the media, head coach Seam McVay was asked about Stafford’s preseason elbow injury. That ailment left him sidelined for much of the summer, and limited his ability to work with the rest of the team during training camp; both he and the team, however, repeatedly played down the significance of the injury with respect to his ability to perform during the regular season. McVay struck a markedly different tone when reflecting on the issue, though.

“I definitely think it had an impact because you talk about rapport, establishing a rapport, a rhythm, a comfort not only with, everybody wants to talk about he and [wide receiver] Cooper [Kupp], but even just some of the newer pieces,” McVay said, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk“I think it definitely had an impact without a doubt.”

Stafford played through the lingering effects of the elbow injury throughout the year, as the Rams’ offense was decimated by injuries up front and struggled to establish any consistency amongst its playmakers aside from Kupp. He missed Weeks 10 and 12 while in the league’s concussion protocol, and has ultimately been placed on IR. That leaves him eligible to return no sooner than Week 17, making it quite possible the former Lion joins Kupp and Aaron Donald in being shut down until 2023.

On that point, McVay further pointed to Stafford’s campaign being over. He said the expectation is that his latest injury – a spinal cord contusion – will not be long-term, and should allow for a “healthy offseason” (Twitter link via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic). With Stafford sidelined, Los Angeles will likely rely on John Wolford as their starter, barring the acquisition of a veteran like the recently-waived Baker Mayfield.

Given the substantial investment the Rams made in Stafford this past offseason, approaching the coming months with caution would come as little surprise. A return to health would bode well for the team in 2023, and allow them to avoid a repeat of this summer’s issues which played out over the course of a lost season.

Rams Extend GM Les Snead

Throughout the offseason, new deals were expected to be finalized for Rams head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead. Per a team announcement on Thursday, both are indeed set to remain with the team for years to come. 

McVay had already confirmed his new deal one month ago, and he made it clear at that time that an announcement regarding Snead would be forthcoming. With the Rams’ title defense beginning in a matter of hours, many expected that announcement to come today. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the pair are now on the books through the 2026 season.

To no surprise, both McVay and Snead are now thought to be among the league’s highest-paid at their respective positions. The Rams have seen consistent success during their time guiding the franchise, including last season’s Super Bowl win. That has come during Snead’s increasing reliance on his unorthodox roster-building strategy of forgoing premium draft picks in return for proven commodities at important positions (including, most notably, quarterback Matthew Stafford).

Los Angeles has not made a first-round selection since 2016, and does not own one until 2024. Still, the effectiveness of the 51-year-old’s actions led to joint extensions for both he and McVay in 2019. Another set of deals keeping them together was widely expected to be the team’s preference, and became possible once the latter confirmed that he would continue coaching in lieu of a broadcasting career.

Snead has held his current title since 2012, ranking him in the top-10 with respect to the NFL’s longest-tenured GMs. He will look to continue climbing the ladder in that regard, while seeking continuity on the roster he has molded into a champion. Much of that has already been taken care of, with new deals being signed in recent months by Stafford, defensive tackle Aaron Donald and receiver Cooper Kupp.

The long-term future of the organization has been questioned by some given the ‘all-in’ nature of Snead’s moves. Further titles remain possible for at least the next few years, however, and he will still be at the helm if/when the team’s Super Bowl window closes given today’s news.

Sean McVay Confirms Rams Extension

Amidst the several headline-grabbing financial moves the Rams have made this offseason, it has been widely expected that a new deal for head coach Sean McVay was among the team’s priorities. He confirmed on Tuesday that a new contract has indeed been agreed upon (Twitter link via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic). 

McVay made the announcement during a press conference; details on the length and value of the deal are still unknown, and likely will be for some time. He added that the team will wait to officially announce it until an extension with general manager Les Snead is finalized, tweets NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

“Les and I have always been a pair,” McVay said, via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. “We wanted to be able to announce that when both of us [had] gotten done. Mine is done. Les is in the process of that.”

The 36-year-old recently spoke about his decision to decline a broadcasting deal and remain on the sidelines with the defending champions. The possibility of his departure loomed over their Super Bowl victory, but McVay had two years remaining on his contract before today’s news. He has also widely been expected to receive a substantial raise from the $8.5MM annual value of his old pact.

Likewise, it comes as little surprise that McVay and Snead will be re-upped simultaneously. The two signed joint extensions in 2019, and have achieved significant success together. A new contract for Snead was considered an inevitability once those of Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp were taken care of. McVay’s remarks point to both extensions being made official in the near future.

With much of their championship core still intact from last season, the Rams are contenders to repeat in 2022. With McVay (and, all-but assuredly, Snead) remaining at the helm for several years into the future, their intermediate future looks positive as well.