LOS ANGELES – Sean McVay has decided to return for a seventh season with the Los Angeles Rams after taking a hiatus after the first losing season of his career to reflect on his future.
The youngest head coach in NFL history to win the Super Bowl has decided not to take a coaching break after his Rams finished 5-12 in their worst season ever by a defending champion. The Rams confirmed his decision with a tweet on Friday.
McVay, who turns 37 later this month, became the youngest head coach in modern NFL history six years ago on Thursday. Everything about McVay’s coaching career was premature, but he chose not to retire early either.
McVay is holding on at the nadir of his tenure with the Rams, after a year he described as severe mental exhaustion and stress. The Rams’ innovative offensive spirit has also frequently spoken out about his desire to pursue a broadcasting career, though this hiatus has seemingly not been about considering a move to the dressing room.
McVay openly admitted that toward the end of the last few seasons, he felt a near-constant feeling of burnout, even as his coaching fortunes skyrocketed. He went 67-41 with the Rams, who had five winning seasons, four playoff appearances, three NFC West titles, two Super Bowl appearances and a championship in his first half of his tenure before everything collapsed last year.
McVay was still the NFL’s youngest head coach after six seasons, but the job weighs heavily on a coach who bemoans his obsessive work habits and inability to delegate responsibility. He has spoken repeatedly in recent weeks about how the exhaustion and frustration of this difficult season is being compounded by the psychological toll of the death of his grandfather and his worries for his wife’s family in Ukraine.
“Tom Brady had a quote before about (how) he hopes his kids can find something they’re as passionate about as he is about football, but he wouldn’t wish that agony on anyone and I can really relate to that” , McVay said Monday.
After the Rams beat Cincinnati at their home stadium last February to win the franchise’s second Super Bowl title, McVay’s fame skyrocketed and he landed endorsement deals that included a string of national television commercials. He also landed a new contract with the Rams, which reportedly made him one of the highest-paid coaches in North American sports.
McVay said Monday he would take time to reflect on his decision rather than follow his naturally impulsive instincts, but he also allowed his assistant coaches to start looking for new jobs this week.
McVay denied speculation that he was considering walking away because of the work that will be necessary to get the Rams back in contention. Even though the Rams don’t have a first-round pick after trading them to Detroit for Matthew Stafford, McVay said he doesn’t think the Rams want a major rebuild with Stafford, Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp and star cornerback Jalen Ramsey need everyone to return healthy for 2023.
Los Angeles are also hoping for seven-time All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who hasn’t said what he will do after missing the last six games of this season with a sprained ankle. Donald, who turns 32 in the fall, had strong thoughts of retirement last year after winning his first ring.
McVay’s success captivated the rest of the NFL, especially after leading the Rams to a Super Bowl loss to New England in just his second season as coach. This has resulted in high annual turnover on his staff: four of McVay’s former assistant coaches have already become head coaches, leading their teams to the playoffs, and several other assistants have left for better jobs.
On Monday, McVay lost another key assistant when offensive coordinator Liam Coen returned to the same job at the University of Kentucky. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris was among those interviewed for the vacancies at Denver and Indianapolis.
But Coen’s departure opens the door for McVay to hire a strong offensive coordinator who could take some of the load off McVay, an offensive coach who names the Rams’ plays. McVay’s hard work hasn’t matched the Rams’ injuries this season: Los Angeles finished last in the NFL at 280.5 yards per game.
That struggle to reshuffle his coaching staff each season added to McVay’s stress, and the brief offseason following the Rams’ championship run last year resulted in a random offseason that made McVay particularly uncomfortable last summer. He still started the new season with optimism — but the Rams were blown away by Buffalo in the season opener, and a cascade of significant injuries soon dashed any hopes of a Super Bowl repeat.
The Rams ranked 27th on 18.1 points per game, mostly lifted by a 51-point performance in a Christmas win over Denver that cost Nathaniel Hackett his Broncos job.
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