NFL offseason rankings: No. 14 Los Angeles Rams don’t have Aaron Donald, but they have a great coach in Sean McVay
The 2023 Los Angeles Rams season was a crucial one for the franchise, and not just because of the 10 wins the team surprisingly earned.
It was because their coach was back. For good this time.
Sean McVay is more honest than most football coaches, and he has talked about how tough the 2022 season was on him. The Rams followed a Super Bowl season by going 5-12. All the signs last offseason were that McVay was ready to leave the Rams, to take a break due to burnout or simply not wanting to be part of what looked like a rebuild.
McVay didn’t take long to decide to return. Then he did a fantastic job coaching a team that had plenty of questions going into the season.
The Rams weren’t rebuilding after all. They made the playoffs. A mostly young and unproven team, which included a shocking and record-breaking campaign from fifth-round rookie receiver Puka Nacua, had an exciting season. McVay reestablished himself as one of the best coaches of this era, and as he enters this season at age 38, he’s seemingly energized to take on whatever comes next.
“By no means am I perfect, but I’m a lot better off from that 2022 season where you’re saying like, ‘You’re actually thinking about not coaching anymore? What the hell is wrong with you?'” McVay said on former Rams defensive end Chris Long‘s podcast, via Turf Show Times. “But those were real things because you lost your purpose and perspective in the midst of, you know, the good stuff occurring, and last year reminded me why I love this s*** so much, because of those players.”
It’s easy to pick up the excitement in McVay’s voice as he talks about the upcoming season.
“You know what’s cool? Being around this group, especially even last year, it feels like it’s Year 1 again. And I really mean that,” McVay told Rams play-by-play announcer J.B. Long and analyst D’Marco Farr. “You have to kick me out of here now. I feel like these last couple years there’s really just been a real renewed purpose and perspective that reminds you of what a blessing this is.”
