Is Sean McVay retiring? Rams HC's future uncertain following nightmare Super Bowl title defense
With the Los Angeles Rams finishing their Super Bowl defense this weekend with a losing record, Sean McVay's future is up in the air. The head coach is just 36 years old and last season, he became the youngest coach to lift the Lombardi Trophy. But this season has been nothing short of a disaster for the Rams, as they embarked on one of the worst Super Bowl defenses of all time.
The team has struggled with Matthew Stafford getting injured and them having to bring in Baker Mayfield on short notice. They have seen the likes of Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. leave, while marquee players like Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald also faced time on the sidelines. It has been a season of upheaval.
There have been additional challenges that Sean McVay has faced in his personal life as well. He lost his grandfather, got married, and then saw his wife's home country of Ukraine at war. There are expected to be offers from television channels and he might view it as a less stressful job.
Update: #Rams HC Sean McVay’s immediate future as the team’s head coach is “in limbo” per @AdamSchefter
How much is Sean McVay's contract worth with the LA Rams?
If the Los Angeles Rams lose their final game of the season against the Seattle Seahawks, they will finish with a 5-12 record. It will officially be the worst title defense of all time, so it won't be tough to see why Sean McVay might want to stay away from it all next season.
But if he does step away, he will reportedly be sacrificing a lot of money because he is said to be the highest-paid coach in the NFL. He earned around $8.5 million annually going into last season, which culminated with him lifting the Lombardi Trophy. That gave him a new contract from this season.
Top 10 highest-paid #NFL coaches
1. Sean McVay $15-18 mil
2. Bill Belichick $12.5 mil
3. Pete Carroll$11 mil
4. Kyle Shanahan $9.5 mil
5. John Harbaugh$9 mil
6. Franck Reich $9 mil
7. Matt Rhule$8.5 mil
8. Mike Tomlin$8 mil
9. Andy Reid $8 million
10. Sean McDermott $8 mi
While the exact amount of the contract was not released, it is expected to be between $14 and $18 million per year. Given his age and success, the Rams needed to fork out to keep their head coach in place. Another reason, as alluded to before, is that there are a lot of people who reportedly want Sean McVay in the broadcast booth. He is one of the smartest brains in the game right now and can earn equally or more, if he works for television channels.
"Sean McVay is not on the hotseat, but I will not be surprised if it's his last year coaching in the NFL. He's got TV offers. Things aren't going in the right direction, and they aren't gonna get better."
— @craigcartonlive https://t.co/CW06IL5ocJ
He has a lot of options available to him, so it is only fair that he evaluates his options at the end of this dismal season.