If Sean McVay was truly weighing his commitment to coaching the Los Angeles Rams prior to the start of the year, even after winning the Super Bowl, how do you think he feels now?
McVay’s Rams started the season on a low, losing to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, and they haven’t really made up any ground since. Sure, at one point the Rams were 2-1, but that’s the only time they were above .500 all season, and now sit at 3-8, in last place of the NFC West, on pace to pick third in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Only, they won’t actually be picking third. Instead, their first-round pick is owed to the Detroit Lions, still stemming from the Matthew Stafford–Jared Goff swap two seasons ago.
Aside from hopefully improved health, such as Stafford’s elbow being back to full strength, who’s to say the Rams can drastically improve next season, knowing their All-Pro talent continues to age, without being able to replenish their lost depth through the draft?
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Insiders suggest Sean McVay could bail on Los Angeles Rams
It could come to a point where coach McVay, after six years at the helm, could take the Les Snead route, except instead of saying, “F them picks,” he may be saying, “F this job”.
McVay, who’s reportedly flirted with the idea of joining the media circus covering the NFL as an analyst, could just as easily land an equally high-paying gig from a leading network.
It’s no secret that being an NFL head coach comes with a lot of criticism and stress. If McVay felt sour about his duties before when the Rams were winning, how do we think he’s feeling now that his team is on pace for their worst season yet under his tutelage? McVay’s teams have never finished worse than 9-7, yet they already have eight losses, with six more games to go.
We’ve gotten to the point where some NFL observers suggest McVay could choose to walk away from coaching this offseason, according to The Athletic’s Mike Sando.
As NFL teams begin putting together their potential list of coaching candidates, with two vacancies already open in Carolina and Indianapolis, many wonder if another job could open up, in Los Angeles.
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Even if he leaves Rams, McVay may not be done coaching
McVay, who recently got married in June, is under contract with the Rams through the 2026 season, but there’s also another option.
If, for whatever reason, McVay wants to escape the Rams, there’s always the option of a trade. Yet, by all appearances, there are no internal issues between McVay and the Rams. It could be another situation like in New Orleans, where Sean Payton walked away, despite still being under contract. At this point, if a team wants to hire Payton, they’ll have to negotiate a trade with GM Mickey Loomis. Heck, a trade, swapping both coaches for one another could even work, at least for Payton. Who knows what the future holds for McVay.
While McVay may be close to walking away, it’s possible he decides the broadcast booth isn’t for him either before wanting back into the NFL.
At that point, the Rams could either welcome him back with open arms (depending on their current coaching situation at the time) or opt to trade him for what could be a bounty of picks, as a young, Super Bowl-winning coach would hold a lot of value to other interested teams.
Either way, we’ll be paying close attention to how McVay finishes his season, as well as what he says when speaking publicly. It may not be long before we’re hearing him weekly on our television sets.
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