While the Los Angeles Rams choked just five times in the regular season, special teams struggles plagued most of those losses. Head coach Sean McVay has finally dodged the issue that has followed his team to the postseason as well. Amid major coaching changes, Los Angeles has addressed special teams failures by bringing in a veteran coach trained under legendary Bill Belichick.

“The Rams have signed Bubba Ventrone as their new special teams coordinator, per sources,” ESPN‘s Tom Pelissero tweeted on X. “Special teams were a massive weakness last season for L.A., which now lands one of the NFL’s best.”

By onboarding Raymond “Bubba” Ventrone, Los Angeles has taken an important step toward fixing a unit that has let them down multiple times this season. The most recent was during the NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks, thanks to a muffed punt. Ventrone has meaningful experience both as a player and as a coach. He began his NFL journey in 2005, spending that year on the New England Patriots’ practice squad.

After brief stints in NFL Europe and with the New York Jets, he rejoined the Patriots, then moved to the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers. On the coaching front, Bill Belichick gave him his first job opportunity as a special teams assistant in 2015. Ventrone worked under him for two years, leading the unit known for reliable special teams play. It was built around undrafted players, something the Rams also rely on. 

Most recently, he served as special teams coordinator for the Cleveland Browns over the past three seasons. While the Pittsburgh Steelers showed interest and requested an interview, McVay’s team ultimately won the race. Meanwhile, the hiring comes after Chase Blackburn’s sacking last month because of ongoing struggles. Later, the franchise promoted assistant coach Ben Kotwica to interim coordinator for the rest of the season.

The special teams ranked 24th this season, averaging just 25.1 kickoffs per game. However, the final nail in the coffin was the team’s 38-37 loss to the Seahawks. The special teams allowed a punt return touchdown and missed a crucial 48-yard field goal. Earlier in the season, two blocked kicks ended the team’s late-game offensive drives, which sealed their fate against the Philadelphia Eagles. 

McVay once admitted that the issues “can’t continue like this.” With Ventrone in charge now, the Rams believe they’ve finally found the leader needed to steady a sinking unit. Meanwhile, the hiring move follows Sean McVay’s recent positive update on another front. 

Sean McVay receives promising news on Nate Scheelhaase 

The Rams have inched closer to securing one of their promising young coaches. Initial worries about losing pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase have faded after reports confirmed the Browns’ plan to hire Todd Monken as their next head coach. This decision removes Scheelhaase from consideration for that position. At only 35 years old, Scheelhaase has built a powerful presence in the league.

With Cleveland heading elsewhere, the Rams now have a realistic chance to retain him on staff. However, there are still potential developments that could lead the coach to leave Los Angeles. The Las Vegas Raiders and the Arizona Cardinals are still seeking ‌new head coaches. Scheelhaase has only interviewed with Las Vegas, while expectations of Mike LaFleur landing the job at Arizona are running high.

This leaves the Raiders’ job as the only potential option for the former. Scheelhaase joined the Rams in 2024, serving as an offensive assistant and passing game specialist. Impressed by his work and offers from the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, McVay promoted him to pass game coordinator the following year. After the move, the coach openly praised Scheelhaase.

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“I think this guy’s a special coach,” he said. “And I’m not going to take for granted the time that I do have with him because I thought it was cool that he chose to stay with us with some other opportunities he had, that meant a lot to me and he is a rising star without a doubt.”

For now, all signs point to the Rams holding onto a key piece of their coaching future.