Sean McVay has lost a lot of assistants to promotions over the past decade, but none have ever left to become the head coach of an NFC West team. That could change this week as rumors gained steam over the weekend that the Arizona Cardinals would target offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur if the Rams lost to the Seahawks in the NFC Championship and sure enough LaFleur is meeting with the Cardinals over the next two days.
Usually two-day meetings that follow rumors end up in the coach never leaving the city without a job.
LaFleur has not necessarily been the coach that Rams fans have been afraid to lose, mostly because as usual the offensive coordinator does not call plays in L.A.. In the past, that has meant losing Matt LaFleur (to a play calling OC job, then a year later he went to the Packers) and Kevin O’Connell, both of whom have had success after leaving. Zac Taylor took the Bengals to the Super Bowl, although he was never an OC. Liam Coen was the OC, but had to get fired two years before he became the Jaguars head coach.
Fittingly, the Rams could also lose pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, the rumored frontrunner to take the Cleveland Browns head coaching job.
If Scheelhaase does not go to the Browns, then McVay may need to sweeten the deal to keep him from becoming LaFleur’s offensive coordinator in Arizona.
LaFleur would not be the only former Rams assistant calling plays in the NFC West, as Seahawks passing game coordinator Jake Peetz was also an assistant under Sean McVay. Peetz could end up replacing Klint Kubiak as Seattle’s next OC if Kubiak leaves for a head coaching job. That could mean that two of the other three NFC West teams know the ins and outs of McVay’s offense, while Kyle Shanahan doesn’t need any intel to do that.
We knew that the Rams coaching staff would be popular again. But this time the calls are coming from inside the division.
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