Sean McVay is entering his eighth season as a head coach in the NFL, but this year has a different feel for him. It’s his second season following the Rams’ roster rebuild in 2023 and he feels rejuvenated heading into the 2024 campaign.
That’s not only surprising, but it should also be very encouraging for Rams fans.
“You know what’s cool? Being around this group, and especially even last year, it feels like it’s Year 1 again. And I really mean that,” McVay said in an interview with J.B. Long and D’Marco Farr.
So what’s led to McVay feeling that way? It’s a combination of the coaches on his staff and the youth on the roster. Last season, the Rams had the second-youngest team in the NFL, and they’ll likely be one of the youngest again this year.
Those rookies and second-year players provide a spark and energy to the locker room that veterans don’t always show. Last year alone, the Rams held more intense practices because of how young their team was, which benefited everyone involved.
McVay elaborated on his energy and excitement about this team, crediting the coaches, players and even his son who was born last year.
“I feel like these last couple of years, there’s really just been a real renewed purpose and perspective that reminds you what a blessing this is,” he said. “You kind of had lost that a little bit in the midst of the journey, especially things going well and then obviously, the challenging year in ’22. There’s a lot of cool things that have gone on with the people that I’m around, the coaches, but having that little guy too is a real easy reason to keep appropriate perspective and to make sure you’re being the man and the model and what it looks like for him every day.”
If this is Year 1 for him, perhaps he has the motivation to coach longer than some fans anticipated. After flirting with the possibility of stepping following the 2021 and 2022 seasons, McVay is certainly back on the horse and feeling rejuvenated entering Year 8.