The disappointing 2022 season for the Los Angeles Rams nearly led head coach Sean McVay to walk away and take a break from the sidelines, he told the “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast this week.
The 2022 Rams were coming off a Super Bowl victory, but finished 5-12 and out of playoff contention in the NFC. Their 12 losses were the most by a reigning champion since the 1999 Denver Broncos and they were the first Super Bowl winner to follow that up with losing season since the 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It didn’t help that quarterback Matthew Stafford (concussion, spinal cord contusion), defensive tackle Aaron Donald (high ankle sprain) and wide receiver Cooper Kupp (high ankle sprain) all missed a combined 22 games.
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McVay, 40, told former NFL players Will Compton and Taylor Lewan that the losing took its toll — so much so that he was eagerly anticipating the end of that season.
Safe to say Sean McVay made the right decision to stay coaching pic.twitter.com/QgVpBPPeAX
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“It took that 5-12 year where you’re really getting broken down and I almost quit coaching,” McVay said. “You could use the narrative that I was going to go to media or whatever, but the truth would have been I was quitting because I couldn’t handle the losing.”
McVay added that due to several players signing extensions or having their contracts restructured, there would need to be a turning over of the roster with talent having to be released. That played a part in his thinking and lack of enthusiasm for the 2023 season.
As he was contemplating his future with the franchise, McVay’s wife was the one who snapped him out of his funk and made him question the decision of quitting following a tough year.
“I remember explaining the situation to my wife Veronika. She is so tough, so steady, so loving and considerate, but so real to me,” McVay said. “She’s so independent, born and raised in Ukraine — and you talk about real perspective from what he family has gone through and how she’s handled it. I was explaining to her, maybe I’ll step away, it’s going to be a really tough upcoming season.
“I had some [media] opportunities and if I had done that I would have conveniently hid behind that, but the reality is I would have been quitting. Basically, I was trying to rationalize and justify why I should [step away]. It’s like ‘Okay, let’s step away, maybe even come back to coaching. We’re going to have a lot of tough decisions to make.’ And it coincided with her being pregnant with our oldest, Jordan. She just kind of looked at me, and it was very loving and supportive, but it was like it is only coming from your wife where it really landed the punch and she’s like, “You know, that never really sounded like the kind of leader you wanted to be.”
Veronika’s words hit McVay hard. Had he gone through with quitting, McVay said he wouldn’t have been able to live with himself and be the kind of father he wanted to be.
Fortunately for McVay, the people in his world — his wife, friends, and a phone call from college football coach Chris Petersen — convinced him that he would regret stepping away from coaching.
The Rams have followed up that 5-12 season with three-straight 10-win seasons, another NFC West title and three playoff appearances, including 2025 when they reached the NFC Championship Game.
In February, McVay, along with general manager Les Snead, signed a multi-year extension just like they did after winning Super Bowl LVI.