Success for the Los Angeles Rams comes with a heavy price, and head coach Sean McVay is about to get the bill. The Rams may be table toppers, but they walk into Week 12  with injury issues before facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And now things have further taken a hit, as Sean McVay just got hit with bad news.

Recently, Tom Pelissero dropped a detailed report on the 2026 NFL head coach hiring cycle. He listed 24 young names worth watching. In that group, the Rams showed up three times. He spotlighted OC Mike LaFleur, 38, pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, 35, and DC Chris Shula, 39.

For fans across the Ram House, that update landed like a warning sign. Losing one assistant is tough. Losing three in the same cycle can shake the whole building.

Moreover, history is not on McVay’s side here. Several former McVay assistants have become NFL head coaches, such as Zac Taylor at the Bengals. The organization has several logical candidates again. Mike LaFleur, the younger brother of Packers coach Matt LaFleur, has been steering the Rams offense for three seasons after calling plays with the Jets. His rise has been steady, and teams searching for a young play caller already know his reputation.

McVay may call the plays in the City of Angels, but LaFleur shapes much of the weekly plan. So does Scheelhaase, a former quarterback who spent nearly a decade coaching at his alma mater and Iowa State before McVay brought him in last year.

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Finally, there is Chris Shula, the grandson of Don Shula, who has been by McVay’s side since 2017. He has run the defense for the last two seasons.

However, the bad news does not end there for McVay.

Sean McVay hears further bad news before facing the Buccaneers

The Rams walked into the week knowing they needed every edge to match the prowess of the NFC South table toppers Buccaneers. Then the hits kept coming. First, 2021 Super Bowl champions Rob Havenstein and Tyler Higbee joined versatile veteran safety Quentin Lake on injured reserve. The Rams will miss all three players on the field.

The Rams placed Lake on IR after he hurt his elbow in Week 11 against the Seattle Seahawks. However, there is some optimism. Coaches believe Lake can return if the Rams make a deep playoff run.

Then the updates on Higbee rolled in. He left early in Week 12. Meanwhile, Havenstein played through the finish. Team quarterback  Matthew Stafford also reflected on the same.

“Both of those guys are obviously big-time leaders and catalysts on our team,” Stafford said about Higbee and Havenstein. “Hopefully those guys can heal up and be ready to go at some point.”

After Stafford’s remarks, McVay explained that Havenstein’s ankle and knee problems were the cumulative result of the season’s wear and tear, not a single-game setback. With both Higbee and Havenstein having already missed time this year, and the Rams managing to stay afloat, the staff would believe that the team is better prepared to absorb this latest round of adversity.