Sep 17, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay shakes hands with Washington Redskins outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan (91) after the game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Inside Sean McVay's Rich History With Tight Ends

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Brock Vierra | Last updated Nov 11, 2025 5:45 PM ET

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. Long before Sean McVay became the Los Angeles Rams head coach, he had to pay his dues like all the other members of the coaching brotherhood. Immediately following his collegiate career at Miami of Ohio, McVay jumped into coaching and in four years of his coaching debut, he became the Washington Commanders' tight ends coach.

From 2011-2013, McVay worked closely with a plethora of talented tight ends before being named Commanders' offensive coordinator in 2014. McVay has used that experience to reinvent offensive football by turning back the clock to a time when having multiple tight ends on the field was a standard practice throughout the NFL.

With his 13 personnel offense lighting up the league, McVay reflected on the time and the people who taught him the importance of tight ends in offensive play design.

McVay Reflects on the Past

McVay was asked about how his time in Washington has impacted his implementation of a three tight end offense.

“It's great," stated McVay on Monday. "I think the thing that's cool is it always starts with the players. Everybody wants to make a big narrative, but you just said it and I'm glad you asked it. The only reason you can do it is because you have four players that are capable of doing it in Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and Terrence Ferguson."

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

"Then you have a coach who does a great job with that group. They're smart. They're conscientious and they can play all the spots and it's awesome. I did cut my teeth as a tight end coach. It was a lot of fun. I was very fortunate to be around some great players like the [Tight End] Chris Cooley's, [Tight End] Fred Davis, [Tight End] Logan Paulsen was one of my all-time favorites, working with [Tight End] Jordan Reed, [Tight End] Niles Paul and [Tight End] Vernon Davis before the last couple years. It was a lot of fun and this does bring back some good memories."

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

"This league is cyclical. This game is cyclical, but it's about those four individuals that we do have. The coaches have done a good job of putting together plans and I give Mike LaFleur and our offensive staff a ton of credit.”

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Rams on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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