Rams expected to hire Sean Desai as a defensive assistant

Sean Desai could hardly have endured a worse end to his time with the Philadelphia Eagles, but his disappointing 2023 season has not prevented the Los Angeles Rams from hiring him to their staff.

The Rams, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, are expected to hire Desai in a senior defensive assistant role.

Desai was hired as the Eagles' defensive coordinator last year, only to have play-calling duties removed in December as Philadelphia tried in vain to arrest a late-season slump, effectively promoting Matt Patricia above Desai.

It did not work as the Eagles lost five of their last six to finish 11-6 before being defeated 32-9 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild card round. Both Patricia and Desai were let go by the Eagles. 

Now Desai will assist new Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, who replaced Raheem Morris after he was hired as the Atlanta Falcons head coach.

The Rams finished 20th in Expected Points Added per play on defense but were 11th in Success Rate. In other words, the Rams excelled at preventing opponents from getting the required yardage but frequently allowed offenses to move the ball through explosive plays. They allowed 57 pass plays of at least 20 yards, the eighth-most in the NFL. 

A former defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears and an ex-assistant head coach and defensive assistant with the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams will hope Desai’s experience can help ensure Shula’s defense does a better job of preventing the field-flipping explosives.

For Desai, it is a chance to rebuild a reputation that took a beating during the ugly end to his brief time in Philadelphia.

That chance comes with a Rams team that ended 2023 firmly on the up and is provided by one of the finest coaches in football in Sean McVay. It’s easy to see why Desai jumped at the opportunity.