Dec 19, 2022; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay reacts in the third quarter during game against the Green Bay Packers Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

NFL exec: Rams' Sean McVay 'tired,' could leave at end of season

Originally posted on Sportsnaut | By Jason Burgos | Last updated 12/24/22

The speculation that Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay could walk away from the franchise at the end of the season is starting to build momentum again.

The Rams had a magical 2021 season. They were one of the best teams in the NFL throughout the year and it seemed like every major move they made worked out perfectly. A trade for Matthew Stafford delivered them the franchise quarterback they needed, and in-season deals for veteran stars Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. proved to be the final pieces to a championship puzzle.

However, it has been a very different story in 2022. Miller and Beckham Jr. are gone, Stafford wasn’t healthy from the start of the season and came nowhere close to finishing it, and even superstar wide receiver Cooper Kupp was knocked on in November with season-ending ankle surgery.

The Los Angeles Rams enter Week 16 with the third-worst record in the league and are one of only six teams in the NFL that have already been eliminated from playoff contention. It should come as no surprise then that after much conjecture in the offseason that McVay could step away from the sport after reaching the top of the mountain, the speculation about retirement has started up again after an awful season.

Sean McVay retirement speculation latest dark cloud hanging over Los Angeles Rams

With the Rams 2022 campaign being a disaster and no real evidence the team can immediately return to Super Bowl contention next year, some around the NFL believe McVay could now pull the trigger on his temporary retirement from the league at 36.

On Friday, The Score NFL contributor Jordan Schultz revealed that an executive in the NFL told him the Rams coach leaving the franchise at the end of the season is back in play and a very real possibility.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Sean walked away, at least for a year. He almost did it once. … I think he’s really tired. It wouldn’t shock me at all if he left.”
– NFL exec on Sean McVay

Before the start of the 2022 season, Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead signed contract extensions to stay with the team through 2026. However, at only 36 and with a 59-36 career record and a Super Bowl title in the bag, McVay could easily walk away from all that money and investment for a few seasons and still get back into the sport when he is barely in his 40s.

This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission.

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