Jeff

Fisher

Out of the coaching game for over five years now, 63-year-old Fisher was connected to an XFL gig but literally called it fake news. It was, indeed, fake news. The XFL is trying to re-start once again, but the USFL got a jump on it. The eight-team league is kicking off later this spring, with every squad playing at Birmingham’s august-but-in-need-of-repairs Legion Field. The 10-week season begins April 16 and lasts through July. Expect many other Fisher types to hop aboard. It is the least they could do to entertain us.

“False news that I am headed to XFL Houston,” Fisher tweeted at CBS’ Jason La Canfora. “Maybe get better sources? (rolling on the floor laughing emoji) Have a great Thursday.” Although we are devastated that the news apparently is not true — Fisher had a loose relationship with the truth as Rams coach — it is amusing that the ol’ ball coach knows how to use emojis. Now 61 with an NFL-record 165 losses under his belt, Fisher does not need the hassle of Vince McMahon’s resurrected minor league. There are cabins to haunt and fish to catch.

With Fisher’s nine NFL lives up, he has moved on to the minor leagues. He spent this winter/spring as the AAF’s “director of football strategy.” The XFL would seem to be a modest step up, but it is not the sort of thing that would put Fisher back on the NFL’s radar. Now in his 60s, Fisher seems destined to remain forever tied with Dan Reeves for the most losses in NFL history.

Quarterback-needy teams like the Jaguars, Bills and Jets should listen up. By getting into the back end of the first round, they can likely pluck a signal-caller they have their eye on. Geno Smith, Ryan Nassib and E.J. Manuel could all still be available. It’s a good spot for the Rams, who also hold the No. 16 overall pick.

According to reporter Sam Farmer, Kroenke appears to have bought the land late last year. The terms of the Rams’ St. Louis lease allow the team to move penalty-free beginning after the 2014 season. In and of itself, the purchase isn’t a smoking gun that the Rams are L.A. bound, but it certainly ups the stakes in the team’s St. Louis negotiations. Acquiring land is just one in a litany of hurdles any team would have to clear before packing up and heading to Hollywood. Local laws and regulations have made it nearly impossible for a viable stadium deal to emerge. That being said, owning both the team and the necessary land puts Kroenke way ahead of past failed suitors. It’s not a good development for fans who want the team to stay in St. Louis.

With three quarterbacks (Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles) separating themselves from the pack, it’s conceivable that the Rams could trade down for a nice haul of picks again. Last time they did it (in the 2012 Robert Griffin deal), they landed a small fortune that included this No. 2 overall pick. This time around, the Vikings and Bucs are among the quarterback-needy teams that might want to move up. If the Rams stay at No. 2, Auburn OT Greg Robinson would make a ton of sense.

This farce has been unfolding since the winter, when it was first reported the recently-relocated Rams wanted to lock Fisher up through their L.A.-rebuilding years. Headed into his 22nd season as an NFL head coach, Fisher hasn’t won more than eight games since 2008, and has cleared the mark just twice in his past 11 campaigns. As our friends at Turf Show Times point out, Fisher is 10 losses away from having the most in NFL history. In other words, he should be on the shortest leash imaginable, but instead has as much job security as Bill Belichick. The Rams are unlikely to ever get over the hump with Fisher on the sideline.

ESPN’s Nick Wagoner first reported these negotiations in February, but it does not sound like they have gone very far. With Fisher entering the final year of his contract, it makes sense to sign him to a short extension to avoid a lame-duck situation, but any long-term pact would be met with consternation by the fan base. Fisher has never won more than seven games with the Rams and has helmed just two winning seasons since 2004.

It was widely believed the Rams had locked Fisher and Snead up in September, but there’s been radio silence from the team on the matter. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Fisher isn’t good at his job and Snead is mediocre. Stunningly shut out by San Francisco in Week 1, Fisher’s team won its next three games before doing what it always does and losing the next three. Fisher is six losses away from the most of all time. If he doesn’t make history this season, he might not have the opportunity to do so in Los Angeles next year.

Nine games away from being the NFL’s all-time losingest coach, Fisher suffered his most comprehensive exposure yet in Week 1, where his team was utterly annihilated by a similarly hapless 49ers squad. The game seems to have passed Fisher by, but owner Stan Kroenke has never been that concerned with wins and losses. Kroenke is focusing on monetizing the team as much as possible and tricking out his new stadium. Fisher could seemingly go 0-16 and retain his owner’s trust. The rest of the league is just fine with the arrangement.