The head coaches in the NFL who are members of the Sean McVay tree have had various amounts of success but none of them have yet to climb football's greatest peak and win a Super Bowl.
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor got close, losing to McVay in Super Bowl LVI but since, Taylor has made a variety of moves that have questioned many and led to some thinking the wheels are beginning to fall off.
McVay used his people skills to get Davante Adams to come to Los Angeles, the same skills Taylor has been lacking in his interactions with disgruntled defensive star Trey Hendrickson.
“A little bit transpired between me and Zac. We’ve tried to keep it as least amount as personal as possible, but at some point in this process it becomes personal," Hendrickson said, via CLNS Cincinnati.
"Being sent 30 days before mandatory camp or how many ever days it is that if I don’t show up I will be fined alludes to the fact that something won’t get done in that time frame. The lack of communication post-draft made it imminently clear to my party—meaning my wife, my son and my agent, a small group of people—that I had informed that this might not work out. I don’t think it was necessary. I think we should have all hoped for the best until proven otherwise.
"Other things have transpired, like the importance of me being here in OTAs doesn’t seem to be respected. I think I’ve carried a lot of respect. I don’t mean to insinuate anything about anyone’s character, but that was disappointing. I think that was the word of the offseason.”
Hendrickson was the NFL sack king in 2024 and is on the final year of his deal. After the Bengals paid Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, Hendrickson felt he was due for a deal. The Bengals have either dragged their feet or simply ignored Hendrickson.
"I don’t have a predictive analysis,” Hendrickson said, via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I’ve been hoping for the best through the entire process. The only thing that alluded to fines was the text I got yesterday from Zac. I thought this was a little early to talk about fines personally with how I’ve conducted myself. I’m incredibly humbled to talk about a potential extension. That’s the part that’s disappointing. Hard work works. I’m a firm believer in that. It’s disappointing.”
It's unclear who Taylor thinks he is, but Hendrickson was one of the main reasons the Bengals made the Super Bowl. Hendrickson was also the reason the Bengals didn't have the worst defense in the NFL.
Another example of why the Rams should be thankful they have McVay.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers have been easing their way into training camp ahead of the 2025 season. The players have just been wearing helmets and shorts, and the pads will come on soon. Pittsburgh's training camp is always known as being one of the most intense in the league, and that is because Head Coach Mike Tomlin has his team go full contact, which is something other coaches around the NFL try to avoid. The pads will come on on Tuesday, and fans should expect to see some skirmishes as emotions rise throughout the rest of camp. Practices in just helmets and shorts are difficult for the big guys in the trenches. It is essentially impossible to simulate blocking without pads on, so the defenders and offensive linemen are itching for when the team gets to go full contact. Second-year offensive lineman Troy Fautanu spoke to the media on Sunday, and he shared how things have been going at practice, while also noting that the two sides of the ball have been going at it. "You know, there's a lot of banter going on between the offense and the defense right now." Fautanu said. "As you guys could tell yesterday, things got a little rowdy. I mean, that's something that's normal. I'm super excited just to finally be able to play real football, because as an offensive lineman it's the worst thing to play football in shorts and t-shirts." Fautanu is probably itching to get back to full contact more than others after missing nearly all of his rookie season in 2024. He played in one game in Week 2 before suffering a knee injury that kept him out for the rest of the year. Tuesday will be the first time he gets to put the pads on and get truly physical in nearly a year. The way he described things, it sounds like there will probably be some confrontations as the offense and defense have already been going at it. Training camp is going to be a true test for Fautanu. He is the team's starting right tackle going into the season, and the organization is relying on the offensive line to take a step forward. He needs to try to live up to his first-round label, and he is going to have to do so while blocking TJ Watt in every practice. Watt is going to be moving around the defensive formation more often than usual, but most of his snaps will come when he is lined up over the right tackle. Fautanu is going to be tested on every snap, and if he can handle Watt, he can handle anyone in the league. Having to go up against Watt every day in practice is good for Fautanu in the long run. Practicing against the best is only going to make him better, and he won't have to block anyone during the 2025 regular season that is as good of a pass rusher as Watt. Steelers' Fautanu Could Solidify 2024 Draft For Pittsburgh It is already looking like the Steelers made a ton of right decisions during the 2024 NFL Draft. Zach Frazier had a spectacular rookie season in 2024, and he is looking like he could be one of the best centers in the league. Mason McCormick was a pleasant surprise at right tackle when he was thrust into the starting lineup, and it seems he has gotten considerably better over the course of the 2025 offseason. If Fautanu can prove he is the starting right tackle of the future for the Steelers, then the organization would have nailed three cornerstones of the franchise in just one draft. All contenders have solid offensive lines, and it looks like the Steelers might have one that could be great in the near future.
Right-handed slugger Mark Vientos is in his fourth season with the New York Mets after making his debut in 2022. The 24-year-old emerged as a rising star for New York last year, playing 111 games and posting career highs with a .266 batting average and an .837 OPS. He also elevated his performance in the 2024 postseason, batting .327 with 18 hits, five home runs, 14 RBIs and eight runs scored in 13 games, leading the Mets to an NLCS appearance. Vientos recently recovered from a right hamstring strain that sidelined him for a few weeks in June, but since then he has really struggled to return to form and regain his production at the plate. Ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the San Francisco Giants, the Mets decided to bench Vientos (the second time in the last three games). The decision to leave him out of the lineup came after Bob Nightengale reported that the Chicago White Sox require Vientos to be involved in any trade for center fielder Luis Robert Jr. Mets general manager David Stearns recently said the Mets will be “engaged” when it comes to possibly adding a center fielder, so addressing that outfield need and Vientos losing playing time may push the organization to part ways with him. In 2025, Vientos is hitting .226 with a .638 OPS, six home runs and 27 RBIs, a steep drop-off in production after his breakout year. He will remain under team control for five more seasons after 2025 and will not hit free agency until 2030.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are starting to ramp things up at training camp ahead of the 2025 season, and what this team is going to look like is starting to come to fruition. There are still plenty of question marks when it comes to certain positions and how the team will play, but the fan base should soon have a better idea of what to expect in 2025. After a handful of practices, there isn't seem to be too much injury concern for Pittsburgh. Isaac Seumalo and Broderick Jones are two people to watch on the injury front, but other than that, the top of the depth chart seems to be healthy, and then there is Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson signed with Pittsburgh on a two-year deal ahead of the 2024 season. He was primarily used on special teams, but he also saw some action as a running back. He had some injury problems, but he was active for most of the year. Many fans were expecting him to be released during the 2025 offseason as Pittsburgh would save money if he didn't make the final roster, but he has stuck around. There has been a bit of a mystery surrounding Patterson and his status. He was present at mandatory minicamp, but did not participate, and so far, the same has been true about training camp. The team has not said anything about him being injured or that he is dealing with anything; he just hasn't been participating. He doesn't have a practice jersey on at all, and he just stands off to the side. Head Coach Mike Tomlin addressed Patterson's situation briefly after the first day of practice in Latrobe. He mentioned that both Patterson and Jonnu Smith were day-to-day, but he didn't really elaborate outside of that. Smith is already back on the field, but it doesn't seem like Patterson will be any time soon. It is a bizarre move to keep him around, especially after he was ineffective as a kick returner during the 2024 season. He is also buried on the depth chart at running back, and there is no other spot for him to find a role on this roster in 2025. The insiders around the team are also fairly split on the future of Patterson. Some believe there is a world where he is on the final roster in 2025, while others think there is no chance he is on the Steelers by the time Week 1 rolls around. Historically, Patterson is one of the best kick returners of all time. He is probably a future Hall Of Famer, and that could be a reason he is still with Pittsburgh. The team might believe he has some value on the trade market, and by the time training camps are coming to a close around the league, another team could be desperate for help on special teams. Pittsburgh would not be able to get much for him, if anything, but it could be nice to bring in another day three pick for the future. Steelers' Cordarrelle Patterson Has A Close Relationship With Coaching Staff A big reason that Patterson was brought in to Pittsburgh was because of Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith. Smith was hired in Pittsburgh after being fired as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, and while he was coaching in Atlanta, Patterson was one of his best offensive weapons. He used Patterson as a running back and a wide receiver, and the two had some success with one another. That connection could be playing a role in Patterson still being on the roster. Hopefully an update on the status of Patterson comes out in the near future that provides the fans with more clarity about what is going on. As of right now, it doesn't seem like Patterson is going to be practicing anytime soon, which makes it hard to believe he will be on the roster in 2025.
After making two major infield moves over the weekend, the New York Yankees are expected to shop for pitchers, and there are still a few names floating around as the trade deadline approaches. Among the favorites are right handed pitcher Mitch Keller from the Pittsburgh Pirates and two RHPs from the Arizona Diamondbacks: Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen. Kelly and Gallen are expected to be packaged with Diamondbacks third baseman and slugger Eugenio Suarez, but given the Yankees' recent infield acquisitions, a trade for Suarez may be unlikely. Writing for Yanks go Yard, Peyton Crowder suggested Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Adrian Houser, whose performance this season with the White Sox would make him a fantastic fit in the Bronx. "[...] one name that has gone relatively unnoticed could be a perfect fit for the Yankees: White Sox starting pitcher Adrian Houser, who has been fantastic in his 10 starts on the South Side," Crowder said. "He has posted a 1.89 ERA through 62 innings with 44 strikeouts." "Now, do we expect him to continue to perform at such a ridiculous level if he does get dealt to the Yankees? Probably not. But could he very well be an excellent third of fourth starter? Absolutely. He has two very good fastball shapes, a trait pitching coach Matt Blake and the rest of the Yankees staff adore. His breaking stuff hasn’t been great, but you would imagine that would be something that gets worked on." Houser has a 6-2 record this season in 11 starts, and a 2.10 ERA, The Yankees have been hurting for pitchers for a while now. While the position isn't exactly their biggest issue (they could use stronger defense overall), the sheer number of injuries this season has taken a toll. The Yankees' most recent loss was Clarke Schmidt, who went in for season-ending Tommy John surgery on July 11. Carlos Rodon and Max Fried have been picking up the slack for the most part, but Fried has had his own share of recent minor finger injuries. The Yankees have begun utilizing hopeful up-and-comer Cam Schlittler, who has given two strong starts since being called up. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! Yankees' Aaron Judge Facing Closest MVP Race in 75 years MLB Trade Rumors: Yankees Linked To Red-Hot Reliever Yankees Linked to Former Outfielder in Juicy Trade Rumor Yankees in Mix for Pirates All-Star Pitcher Yankees Trade Rumors: All-Star Closer On The Market?
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