It’s no surprise at this point when the Los Angeles Rams lose coaches in the offseason. Last year they lost Nick Caley to the Houston Texans as he became their offensive coordinator. The season before
they lost Raheem Morris, Zac Robinson, Eric Henderson, and Jake Peetz. It’s been a never-ending cycle that head coach Sean McVay has had to manage and done really well.
That will very likely be the case again this offseason. With how the Rams defense is playing, Chris Shula is going to get head coach looks. Mike LaFleur has been the offensive coordinator with Sean McVay for three years and should get some interviews. Additionally, Nate Scheelhaase will get some consideration for offensive coordinator roles, especially if Shula or LaFleur get hired.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero recently released his top, young coaches to know list heading into the 2026 coaching cycle. Said Pelissero,
“It’s a good bet that one former Sean McVay assistant will get hired in any given cycle, especially when the Rams are rolling. And there are several logical candidates on staff this year. LaFleur — the younger brother of Packers coach Matt LaFleur — has been the Rams’ OC the last three seasons after a stint calling plays with the Jets. McVay calls the plays in L.A., but LaFleur is heavily involved. So is Scheelhaase, a former Illinois QB who coached at his alma mater and Iowa State for almost a decade before McVay hired him last year. Shula, the grandson of coaching legend Don Shula, has assisted his old Miami (Ohio) teammate McVay since 2017, spending the last two years as DC. It wouldn’t be a shock to see all three get interview requests in this cycle, with Shula perhaps the closest to being ready for the big seat.”
McVay typically likes to keep ideas his coaching ideas fresh. If LaFleur doesn’t get a head coaching job, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him follow his brother’s footsteps. When Matt LaFleur left the Rams, it was a lateral move as an offensive coordinator, but one where he got to call plays.
Regardless of the reputation that LaFleur had with the New York Jets, he hasn’t garnered any head coach interest the last two years. Three years removed from the Jets and with the Rams having a top offense this season, that could change.
In his Week 12 buzz article, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler mentioned Chris Shula as a potential head coach candidate. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini has also listed Shula as a name to watch.
It is always tougher for defensive coaches, but there’s no denying what Shula has done this season. The Rams defense certainly has talent, but nobody expected them to be inside the top five. The narrative coming into the year was that the Rams lacked talent on the back end in the secondary and Shula has gotten strong play from Emmanuel Forbes, Kam Kinchens, and Quentin Lake. Nate Landman has also had a career year in Shula’s defense.
While Shula could get looks, it is worth wondering how much the lack of success with other Rams defensive coaches will impact his canidacy. Rams offensive coaches have had success once they make the move to head coach. However, Brandon Staley failed with the Los Angeles Chargers. Additionally, Raheem Morris hasn’t done as well as expected with the Atlanta Falcons. Shula will be competing with Vance Joseph, Jesse Minter, Aden Durde, and potentially Lou Anarumo. Opportunities for defensive coaches are scarce and it’s possible only one gets hired.
Realistically, there will be between five and 13 head coach openings. Below are the teams that will or could be looking for a new coach:
- Tennessee Titans
- Already looking.
- New York Giants
- Already looking.
- Miami Dolphins
- Can Mike McDaniel save his job with strong second half?
- New York Jets
- Do the Jets give Aaron Glenn time?
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Will Steelers make a potentially needed change?
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Do Bengals feel as if Zac Taylor is underperforming?
- Cleveland Browns
- Has Kevin Stefanski’s time in Cleveland run out?
- Green Bay Packers
- Do Packers feel like Matt LaFleur is getting the most out of that roster?
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Pete Carroll hasn’t raised the floor as many expected.
- Arizona Cardinals
- Has Jonathan Gannon earned another year?
- Atlanta Falcons
- Do the Falcons clean house?
- New Orleans Saints
- Will the Saints finally tear it down completely?
- Carolina Panthers
- Has Dave Canales gotten the most out of Bryce Young?
Not all of those teams are going to move on from their head coaches as that would be almost half the league. However, those are jobs that could potentially come open and nobody would be shocked if they did. If the Dolphins move on from Mike McDaniel, Chris Shula would be an obvious choice there. He interviewed as a defensive coordinator there last season before getting the role with the Rams. Shula also has a family history with the Dolphins.
LaFleur and Scheelhaase may have more of an uphill battle to be head coaches, but could join another coaching staff. Scheelhaase nearly was taken by Liam Coen last offseason.
At the end of the day, it’s a good problem to have as the Rams are succeeding. At 8-2 and amont the best teams in the NFL, the league is going to try and replicate it. We’re still three months away from dealing with the problem, but it’s one that the Rams will most likely have when the time comes.
