Sean McVay addresses retirement rumors ahead of critical season with LA Rams
In all the hullabaloo of Super Bowl favorites, Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams seem to be missing. Much of the talk this offseason has focused on the AFC teams with strong rosters and quarterbacks.
In the NFC, last season's powerhouses the Philadelphia Eagles and consistent performers like the San Francisco 49ers are being touted.
But it was just one season ago that the Los Angeles Rams were lifting the Lombardi Trophy making Sean McVay the youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl.
Perhaps, one of the reasons they have flown under the radar is because there have been persistent rumors that the head coach would retire.
But appearing on 'The Pivot Podcast', he clarified that this is not something that is on his mind right now. He even ruled it out for the near future and justified it by saying that he cannot walk away with a 5-12 record in his last season.
McVay said:
"It's [retirement] not something that I think is anywhere in the near future now, but you got to do it and really, if I had done it, it really would have been more of just because you had some opportunities, it really would have been running away from attack in the opportunity to address some adversity.
"For the first time, we went 5 and 12. I'm not going to run away from that."
Can Sean McVay help the Los Angeles Rams improve this season?
The big question is whether Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams bounce back this season. Going 5-12 made them the worst defending Super Bowl champions in NFL history, but the head coach is feeling optimistic as he believes he can right the ship.
He said:
"There were a lot of reasons for that [going 5-12]. But if you say like, can you do a better job within the framework of your role, there's no doubt in my mind, I can."
Much of the reason why they struggled last year was because of injury to key pieces. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was out of the league for many games and their premium receiver, Cooper Kupp, was also on the sidelines. Aaron Donald will also be returning fit and rejuvenated this year.
If that happens, the roster this year will be closer to what they had during their Super Bowl-winning season, and that is why there is no reason they cannot compete at the top again.
Sean McVay has shown an amazing knack of coaching in his career and having the right tools available at his disposal should be enough to turn the Rams' fortunes around.