Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay might need to begin preparing for a significant change this offseason. That is as McVay gets the Rams ready to face the Chicago Bears in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.
On the field, the Rams are on the road against the second-ranked team in the conference, with weather looming as a potentially significant factor.
Now, it seems increasingly likely that McVay will soon lose a trusted resource.
Rams Coach Named Betting Favorite to Land Rival Vacancy
GettyLos Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula looks on before a game against the Seattle Seahawks.
McVay’s future has come into question after recent seasons, even by the Rams’ head coach. But their success with him at the helm has consistently yielded opportunities for his assistants, and this offseason could see another cycle of turnover.
Specifically, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula is an increasingly popular speculative candidate for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported Shula is the “betting favorite” with +190 odds.
“At 39 years old, Shula would fit the profile of what the Steelers are looking for, a young coach who could have the job for many years, just as Mike Tomlin, Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll did. Shula has been with the Rams since 2017 and has been around football his entire life,” Florio wrote on January 14.
“If Shula isn’t the Steelers’ choice, other candidates with listed odds include Brian Flores at +400, Robert Saleh at +700, Curt Cignetti at +750, Jesse Minter at +800 and Vance Joseph at +850.”
Chris Shula Consistently Linked to Steelers
GettyLos Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula looks on against the Seattle Seahawks.
This is the latest connection for Shula to the Steelers, who were eliminated from the postseason in the AFC Wild Card by the Houston Texans.
“The Steelers, Ravens and Bills have generated conversation in recent weeks. Is there any reality to it? I don’t think these would be firings,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote on January 2.
“There is some thought that Mike Tomlin could look at a reset, with the Pittsburgh roster potentially going through one soon too, and take a year or two in TV before returning to the sideline. And interestingly enough, Shula’s name has been connected to the Steelers, in case there is an opening.”
Shula would be just the fourth head coach in Steelers franchise history.
Breer also linked Shula to the New York Giants’ HC vacancy, meaning the McVay and the Rams might not be out of the woods even if the Steelers went in a different direction.
Chris Shula’s Family History a Plus
GettyLos Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula gives instructions during OTAs.
Shula’s connection to McVay and the Rams is only part of his story. His family ties are legendary in the NFL.
“If the Steelers are looking for a young, defensive-minded head coach, Shula could fit the mold,” The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo wrote on January 13. “The grandson of Hall of Fame coach Don Shula and son of former Bengals coach Dave Shula, Chris has spent two seasons as the Rams’ defensive coordinator. He helped develop and maximize a young defensive corps that allowed the 10th fewest points per game (20.4).”
Operating under an offensive-minded head coach, Shula also avoids the play-calling and decision-making questions that some of his peers on the HC market will face during their respective interview processes.
Whether or not that leads to the Rams needing to find a new DC for the fifth time since McVay took the helm in 2017.
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