Sean McDermott’s stop at Rams training camp earlier this week has already sparked a lot of noise, and for good reason. The Los Angeles Rams have turned into the NFL’s go-to coaching factory, with assistants routinely getting scooped up by other teams. This time, it was offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur leaving for the Arizona Cardinals head coaching job.
According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, the former Buffalo Bills head coach was in camp earlier this week. That alone is not unusual. Coaches bounce around, compare ideas, and keep their networks warm all the time.
Still, the Rams have built a reputation for giving new life to coaching resumes, and they already have one former head coach on staff in Kliff Kingsbury. That’s why the idea of McDermott ending up in Los Angeles doesn’t feel far-fetched at all.
There are plenty of reasons McDermott could be intrigued if the visit is about more than just a friendly conversation. The Rams overhauled their defense this offseason with the additions of edge rusher Myles Garrett and cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. There are also rumors that Aaron Donald may unretire and return to the team.
That kind of makeover comes after the Rams kept defensive coordinator Chris Shula on a tight budget through his first two seasons. In 2026, the purse strings opened up, and Shula finally got the defense he wanted. If this group comes anywhere close to the hype, Shula is going to be on every head-coaching list in the league.
That creates one obvious ripple effect: if Shula leaves, McDermott would make a natural replacement. He has been a defensive coordinator before, and other teams that miss out on Shula could also look at McDermott as a proven option.
So the visit could be nothing more than a routine coaching stop. But the timing is enough to keep the speculation alive, and the fit is easy to see. The Rams have major things cooking this season, and McDermott would have a real chance to jump into a staff with plenty of upside.
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