Sean

McVay

The Rams ultimately decided on a deal with the Falcons, which landed them a first-round pick in 2026 in exchange for this year’s 26th overall pick. The deal also gave the Rams a pick in tonight’s second round. “To be able to get a future (No.) 1 is a big deal,” said Rams HC Sean McVay, “to just move back 20 spots.” Rams general manager Les Snead added “The value going up there, teams were asking too much — more than we would give.” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini earlier reported that teams which received calls from the Rams believed they were targeting wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who eventually went to the Panthers at No. 8.

Streicher will have many responsibilities with the Rams, but it’s notable that McVay referenced some of his more notable weaknesses as a coach when talking about what Streicher brings to the table. He even jokingly said Streicher will stop him from using his timeouts in the second half before he needs to. Streicher spent six years in Tennessee, holding multiple titles throughout his time there. The Titans took his work to heart, ranking near the top of the league in fourth-down aggression in recent years. Streicher was let go at the end of the season when head coach Mike Vrabel was fired. The hire should give the Rams a much-needed boost on the margins after poor timeout usage and fourth-down decisions plagued their playoff loss to Detroit.

After coming close to calling it quits as LA’s head coach following the 2021 and 2022 seasons, McVay, 37, confirmed to the team’s website this week that he’ll be back on the sidelined for the 2024 campaign, his eighth with the team. McVay is 69-45 as the team’s head coach. The Rams will play the 49ers in Week 18 as they battle for postseason positioning.

McVay took some time off to mull retirement after the Rams’ season ended and even gave his coaches free reign to look for new jobs. Ultimately, he will stay on board and try to recapture the team’s Super Bowl magic from a year ago. The 2022 season was a brutal one for LA. Three of their five highest-paid players saw their seasons end early because of injuries. Beyond that, their depth at receiver and offensive line was pushed to breaking points because of additional injuries. The Rams ended the year at 5-12, winning two of their final 11 games. With no first-round pick and limited cap space to work with, McVay will need to work overtime to get his team back to the postseason. However, if injury luck breaks their way in 2023, the Rams will still be a strong contender in the NFC.

Rams beat Jourdan Rodrigue chimes in to note that not all coaches on the Rams staff would be guaranteed to get their jobs back. McVay did not want to block his coaching staff from exploring opportunities while he made up his mind on his next step. It’s possible Raheem Morris could get snatched up as a defensive coordinator elsewhere, assuming Morris is unable to land a head coaching gig. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen already took an offer to return as University of Kentucky offensive coordinator.

Fox’s Jay Glazer reports on Sunday that the Rams are prepared for McVay to exit -- something he reportedly considered after the team’s 2021 Super Bowl run. One of the best young coaches in the game, McVay and the Rams struggled in their title defense season, finishing with a 5-12 record and an offense that ranked 27th in points per game (18.1). It wouldn’t be surprising to see McVay take off for a TV gig in 2023 only to throw his hat back in the coaching ring for the 2024 season.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Saturday reported McVay’s future with the Rams is “in limbo” after a disastrous Super Bowl title defense in 2022. With no draft resources and salary cap troubles galore, it wouldn’t be surprising if McVay jumped ship and returned to coaching for another team better positioned to make a championship run. Glazer said many in the Rams organization expect McVay to leave, and to do so shortly after the team’s regular season finale against the Seahawks. Raheem Morris would be a candidate to fill the Rams head coaching vacancy, per Glazer.

"(Sources) believe McVay will take some time after Sunday’s regular season finale against the Seahawks to determine whether he will return in 2023,” Schefter reports. Enduring his first losing season, McVay also mulled bolting the Rams’ sideline last offseason to go work in television. “McVay has gone back and forth on the decision, and needs time to get away to process all that has transpired over the past year — winning a Super Bowl, being courted to work in television, getting married, watching his wife’s home country of Ukraine invaded, losing his grandfather, and then coaching a team that has fallen short of its expectations,” Schefter elaborated. Mired in something of a coaching mid-life crisis, it certainly doesn’t help that McVay has a deteriorating roster and no draft picks to fix it. He could be in a classic coaching spot where he briefly “retires” for television before returning for another opportunity. Stay tuned.

The extensions of McVay and Snead were announced in early August, but we now know that both will remain under contract with the team through 2026. McVay and Snead orchestrated a Super Bowl run last season for the Rams, and now look to defend their title this season. Under McVay, the Rams are 55-26 with a 7-3 record in the playoffs that includes two Super Bowl appearances. McVay and the Rams kickoff their title defense on Thursday night against the Bills in Los Angeles.

McVay revealed that he signed this extension at a press availability. Terms haven’t been given, and McVay said that the team will officially announce the extension when a new deal with GM Les Snead is also done. There were some rumblings that McVay would entertain a cushy gig at a network, but it appears the time is not quite right for that. It’s a big get for the Rams to get his signature on a new deal.