Rams-49ers Rivalry Takes a Random Turn

"49ers expected to reunite with former Jaguars assistant general manager Ethan Waugh, per a league source," wrote Wilson. Previously with San Francisco personnel department before working in Jacksonville."

On April 29th, the Jaguars parted ways with Waugh following the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft. Waugh was former general manager Trent Baalke's right-hand man as the two men share 12 NFL seasons together, dating back to their original stint with the 49ers, where Baalke, Waugh and Jim Harbaugh helped turn around an awful San Francisco franchise, restoring glory to a team deprived of it since the 90s.

Then, in a power struggle between Baalke and Harbaugh, Baalke won (the 49ers didn't), and despite average arm length being at an all-time high, the numbers were not, and after failed one-year head coaching stints by Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly, the 49ers cleaned house.

However, Waugh remained with the franchise through that transition, working under new general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan. That was until 2022 when Waugh became assistant general manager of the Jaguars.

Waugh was let go as he was no longer needed by new general manager James Gladstone. Gladstone, a former member of the Los Angeles Rams and the protégé of Rams general manager Les Snead, is bringing a new look to Duval County.

During Waugh's time with the 49ers and Gladstone's time with the Rams, the two teams engaged in one of the most hotly contested, smack-talking, hard-hitting, intertwining rivalries in the NFL.

The 2022 NFC Championship Game featuring these two teams was a massive catalyst towards the hostilities, a game won by the Rams, who went on to win Super Bowl LVI.

It should also be noted that 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan used to be Sean McVay's superior with the Washington Commanders during Kyle's dad Mike Shanahan's stint as head coach for the franchise.

McVay then replaced Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator under new head coach Jay Gruden.

So, considering Shanahan's approach to the 2025 NFL season, bringing back the critical pieces of his and John Lynch's staffs, building a youthful roster through the draft, and then supplementing it with veteran talent like former Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson, it seems to go forward, he's turning back the pages.

For the Rams, they have been there before but the difference is that they no longer have their star man Aaron Donald. They do have Jared Verse so in the McVay-Shanahan rivalry, which has now expanded to every coast, another chess move has been made as we approach the 2025 NFL season.