The Rams have made the move they were long expected to make with respect to their offensive coordinator vacancy. Los Angeles is hiring Mike LaFleur as their OC, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). 
The 36-year-old was let go by the Jets in the wake of their disappointing end to the campaign, one in which the team struggled in the passing game in particular. Almost immediately after that decision, it was reported that he was the favorite to join Sean McVay‘s staff. Today’s new thus comes as little surprise as the 2021 Super Bowl winners look to rebound from a disastrous season.
LaFleur, the younger brother of Packers HC Matt LaFleur, had stints with the Browns, Falcons and 49ers prior to his first career OC job with the Jets in 2021. The team ranked 26th in yards and 28th in scoring during his first season at the helm, and those figures remained essentially the same in 2022. Injuries ravaged the team on offense, however, and the Jets showed signs of notable improvement early on in the year. Inconsistency at the quarterback position, however, led to a considerable drop-off in production.
New York scored no more than 22 points during the six-game losing streak which ended their season and kept them outside the playoff picture after an encouraging start to the year. By that point, quarterback Zach Wilson had been benched in favor of Mike White (when healthy), rookie running back Breece Hall had been lost for the season and the team’s offensive line was a shadow of its projected arrangement after the offseason. As the Jets look towards a veteran QB addition under new OC Nathaniel Hackett, LaFleur will aim for a fresh start on the West Coast.
The Rams entered the 2022 season with considerable expectations after their Super Bowl success. A collection of injuries up front, coupled with inconsistent performances on offense aside from wideout Cooper Kupp left the unit ranking dead last in total offense and 26th in scoring. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen returned to Kentucky after the season, leaving a non-play calling vacancy to be filled. With McVay remaining on staff for at least the 2023 season, he will attempt to marshal a return to health and resultant turnaround on that side of the ball alongside LaFleur.
With the Rams’ OC search now complete, here is a final look at their process:
- Marcus Brady, offensive consultant (Eagles): Interviewed
- Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): Mentioned as candidate
- Brian Johnson, quarterbacks coach (Eagles): Interviewed
- Mike LaFleur, former offensive coordinator (Jets): Hired
- Wes Phillips, offensive coordinator (Vikings): Declined interview request
- Frank Reich, former head coach (Colts): Mentioned as candidate
- Zac Robinson, quarterbacks coach (Rams): Mentioned as candidate
but why???
Why not? It’s a joke that the Jets fired him. Now he’ll spend two years not calling plays and then get a head coach job.
It’s amazing they scored as much as they did with no competent QB and no Breece Hall.
It’s funny how people make excuses for coaches that are “like-able”. He failed at his last job, plain and simple. This is case of Failing upwards at its best
Did you see his team last year?
Speaking as a Jets fan, I don’t see what more he could’ve done with that QB situation. LaFleur schemed receivers open, but Zach Wilson is so bad he put a flare pass in the dirt two feet short of his receiver last time he started. And now LaFleur is taking a coordinator job where he won’t call plays.
They should have provided Wilson with semaphore flags to send the SOS signal instead of a flare.