Sean McVay is staying put with the Los Angeles Rams, and that part is now official following his contract extension. The same can’t quite be said about his offensive staff. With offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur landing the head coaching job with the Arizona Cardinals, McVay is once again staring at a reshuffle on offense. It’s a familiar situation for him, though. Over the years, multiple assistants under McVay have moved on to head coaching roles. So when asked what he’s looking for in a new OC for 2026, McVay laid out his thinking pretty clearly.

“We’ve got some really good coaches in-house that we’re going to continue to develop,” McVay said. “I think it is thorough, and I think it’s the right and reasonable approach to be able to really have a wide-ranging search while full well knowing that I’ve got more than capable guys that could step up and do a phenomenal job. But you do have to do that just based on the rules in general. And so I’m looking forward to seeing what that looks like and exactly how that person that ends up becoming the OC, what their roles and responsibilities are. And I would like something similar to Mike.”

The Rams are now firmly in OC-search mode, and it’s not hard to see why McVay’s priorities are already set. At the top of the list is continuity. McVay has openly said he wants something similar to what he had with LaFleur. And the results back that up. Under LaFleur’s coordination in 2025, the Rams fielded one of the league’s most productive offenses.

L.A. led the NFL in scoring with 518 total points, averaging 30.5 points per game. Meanwhile, they also ranked among the league’s best in yards per game at 397.0. With LaFleur now in Arizona, McVay’s goal is clearly to replicate that same offensive rhythm. That’s where the in-house options come into play. Based on McVay’s comments, passing game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase has quietly emerged as a strong candidate.

The reasons, meanwhile, are fairly straightforward. For starters, McVay acknowledged the league’s general interviewing rules, including the Rooney Rule, which naturally broadens the search. Second, Scheelhaase has already been linked to multiple head coaching opportunities. And reportedly, he even surfaced as a finalist for the Cleveland Browns job before the team hired Todd Monken to replace Kevin Stefanski.

Third and maybe most importantly, familiarity matters here. McVay has made it clear he values internal continuity, and Scheelhaase checks that box. He joined the Rams in 2024 as an offensive assistant and passing game specialist after a long stint at Iowa State. By 2025, McVay had promoted him to passing game coordinator. Now, with the OC role suddenly open, Scheelhaase is well-positioned to take the next step.

While nothing is official and the Rams are expected to evaluate candidates both inside and outside the building, all signs point to Scheelhaase being one of the leading options to replace LaFleur.

The Cardinals replaced Jonathan Gannon with Sean McVay’s OC

The Cardinals were among the last teams to settle their head coaching situation ahead of the 2026 season. That wait ended this week when Arizona replaced Jonathan Gannon with Sean McVay’s OC, Mike LaFleur. The Cardinals announced the move Sunday, confirming that LaFleur agreed to a five-year contract. He now steps into a challenging situation. He’ll inherit a roster that finished 3–14 last season. And a team that stood as the only team from the NFC West to miss the playoffs.

“We had the opportunity to speak with an outstanding group of candidates during this very thorough process and gathered tremendous insight from each of them,” Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said in a statement. “At the end of that process, it was clear that Mike LaFleur possesses all the traits necessary to lead this team to success as its head coach. He is highly intelligent with an exceptionally sharp, creative football mind.”

The Cardinals also met with the Seattle Seahawks‘ offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, on Saturday. However, Kubiak is widely expected to land the head coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders. This development helps explain why the Cardinals shifted course late in the process. LaFleur, meanwhile, had already gone through a virtual interview before being brought in for a two-day, in-person visit with the organization.

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Now, LaFleur is set to take over a rebuilding team in 2026, with expectations tempered by recent struggles but fueled by fresh optimism. As for McVay and the Rams, the head coach position is firmly settled. It’s the offensive coordinator spot that still remains to be figured out.