When there were rumblings that Sean McVay might step away from coaching a few years ago, well before his 40th birthday, it seemed odd.
McVay is unquestionably a football nerd, which is apparent from his freaky recall of specific plays through his coaching career. But even he admitted that his dalliance with stepping away after the 2022 season was real.
“It took that 5-12 year where you’re really getting broken down and I almost quit coaching,” McVay said this week on the “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast. “”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 obviously came back, and has built the Los Angeles Rams back up to being one of the best teams in the NFL.
But as the Rams go into this season with Super Bowl hopes, McVay’s interview is a reminder that this fantastic run of success for the franchise isn’t guaranteed to last forever.
Sean McVay’s growing legacy
McVay has 102 wins, counting postseason, in nine seasons. At that pace, he’d pass Don Shula’s unbelievable record of 347 wins in his 31st season. He’d be 61 years old, which isn’t that old for an NFL coach. It’s clearly possible he can reach the heights of being considered among the all-time greats.
But that’s assuming he wants to keep coaching for a little more than a couple decades. McVay has said he feels rejuvenated a few times since 2023, and maybe he does keep coaching for a long, long time. But the thoughts of stepping away in 2023, after a rough season following up a Super Bowl championship, could always resurface. Burnout among NFL coaches is real.
McVay is married and has two young sons. He could step onto just about any network’s studio set the moment he decided to quit coaching; a media opportunity was one reason he even thought about retiring a few years ago. That life is a lot less stressful than putting together a game plan to beat the Seattle Seahawks or San Francisco 49ers.
McVay has seemingly snapped out of his funk and isn’t close to leaving coaching. But nothing is guaranteed to last that long in the NFL. And who knows, maybe a second Super Bowl championship might leave him wondering if it’s time to leave on a high note.
Rams might have a short Super Bowl window
The Rams are in a great position. They have arguably the best roster in the NFL. They enter this season as Super Bowl favorites in the betting world.
But the window might not be open forever. Matthew Stafford is 38 and has hinted at retirement himself. Ty Simpson was drafted to be his replacement but that might not work out. Other key players like Davante Adams, who is 33, are getting close to an age in which they could either see their production drop or want to quit football too.
The fact that a coach who as manaical about football as McVay considered giving it up after a rough season says that the NFL is an impermanent league. McVay famously takes losses hard. It’s hard to do that for two or three decades. Whatever oportunity the Rams have now, they better take advantage of it.
Maybe McVay sticks around long enough to topple Shula and be recognized as perhaps the greatest coach ever. Perhaps Simpson becomes McVay’s next great quarterback and the Rams never experience a downturn. The Rams are adept at player acquisition and development, so this could be a successful run for a long time.
But everything is year to year. It can all change quickly. It almost did for the Rams three years ago, as McVay had his doubts about continuing to coach.