If Sean McVay decides to step away from coaching, the Los Angeles Rams are prepared. It remains unclear what McVay will do, giving no indications of whether he’ll be back in 2023, but the Rams will be ready no matter which path he goes down.
Chief operating officer Kevin Demoff told Gary Klein of the LA Times on Thursday that the Rams have “contingency plans in a situation like this that will be ready to be enacted.” Demoff didn’t specify what those plans are or who would step in for McVay in the event that he does leave, but this isn’t new information that the coach suddenly dropped on the front office.
“We’ve known for some time that he was going to wait until after the season to make a decision about whether he wants to coach in 2023,” Demoff said. “We’ve always told Sean we’d give him that space to make that decision and we’ll support him in whatever direction he goes.”
McVay said himself that this contemplation goes years back and we saw just last offseason that he considered leaving coaching for a job in broadcasting. This decision is about more than just the boatloads of cash TV networks are willing to throw at him; he’s thinking about the life he wants for his family in the immediate future.
Just as McVay isn’t putting a timeline on his decision, the Rams aren’t going to hold him to a deadline, either.
“We view it however he sees it,” Demoff said. “There’s no deadline or answers we’re seeking aside from making sure we want the best for him.”
The most logical contingency plan for Los Angeles would be an internal promotion, even if only temporarily. Raheem Morris is a head coaching candidate already, landing two interviews with the Colts and Broncos this offseason. Promoting him to head coach from defensive coordinator would make the transition away from McVay’s regime as seamless as it could be.
Thomas Brown, another head coaching candidate who will interview with the Texans, would make sense as a replacement for McVay, too.
Of course, the Rams could always seek an outside candidate, especially if Morris and/or Brown leaves this offseason. Might they trade for Sean Payton? Could they bring in Frank Reich?
Regardless, the front office is prepared for whatever McVay decides, even if he chooses to walk away after six seasons.
