Three things in life are inevitable: death, taxes, and the Los Angeles Rams getting their coaching staff pilfered by other teams every offseason.
Defensive coordinator Chris Shula is set to be one of the hottest names on the NFL’s head coaching carousel at the season’s conclusion. Most of the buzz is media driven, of course. But to me the more attractive option instead is offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. Here’s why.
Look at the massive advantage the Rams gained by pairing Sean McVay with Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford. When the head coach and quarterback marriage works, it can give your team a competitive edge for the next decade. There are other franchises that have captured this magic: Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes with the Chiefs, Matt LaFleur and Jordan Love in Green Bay, Sean Payton and Bo Nix for the Broncos, and Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy in San Francisco just to name a few.
It’s difficult to build sustainable success in the NFL. If you can pair a long-term quarterback with a high-level offensive play caller, you can bring stability to your team for years to come.
On the other hand, life is difficult for defensive head coaches. You can hire a good OC, but they will jump at the first opportunity for a promotion.
For example, the Buccaneers hit the lottery when they took a short-term gamble on Baker Mayfield—who is now their quarterback of the foreseeable future. Mayfield is on his third coordinator and play caller in as many seasons after Dave Canales was hired by the Panthers and Liam Coen took the leading gig with the Jaguars. It’s rare to replace a solid hire with another one, and Todd Bowles and Tampa Bay have been fortunate in recent years. Still, by opting for this arrangement you invite uncertainty and nearly guarantee change after a successful year.
If you are the New York Giants and watched Jaxson Dart put together an impressive rookie season, why would you not want to insulate his career by arranging a marriage with the next great offensive mind? If Dart plays well in 2026 and his team wins games, he’ll likely have to start the relationship over the following year under a defensive head coach.
LaFleur is ready for his next shot
Sean McVay did not call plays in the Rams’ last game against the Arizona Cardinals because he was battling the flu. Instead, we watched Mike LaFleur pull the offensive strings and LA put up over 40 points. The Rams remained committed to the ground attack in a way we don’t often see from them paired with the highest use of 13 personnel in a single game since 2016. This resulted in over 250 rushing yards for Los Angeles.
We know that LaFleur’s first stint with the New York Jets crashed and burned. He played a role in selecting Zach Wilson early in the draft, and based on this draft pick his fate was effectively sealed from the jump. Wilson hasn’t earned a starting gig since leaving New York. This tells us that LaFleur likely received an unfair share of the blame.
He’s had three seasons with the Rams to mature and marinate on the mistakes he made with the Jets.
If I was a general manager or owner tasked with hiring a new head coach in 2026—and I either have a franchise quarterback or are in a position to draft one—I’m taking Mike LaFleur over Chris Shula every day of the week.
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