McVay nearly – Sean McVay revealed that after a brutal 2022 season—including a 5-12 finish—he was close to walking away from coaching. In a May 19 podcast episode, McVay said a conversation with his wife pushed him to stay, leading to a 2023 comeback that brought the Rams to
Sean McVay didn’t say he was burned out. He said he was counting down the days.
In the weeks after the 2022 season ended. after the Los Angeles Rams closed it with a 5-12 record. McVay looked at his next step—and admitted that stepping away felt like the path he could justify. In a May 19 episode of the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast. McVay told hosts Will Compton and Taylor Lewan that he nearly quit coaching following the season that came one year after Los Angeles reached the Super Bowl.
“You could use the narrative that I was going to go to media or whatever, but the truth would’ve been I was quitting,” McVay said. “I couldn’t handle the losing. It was almost like a scarlet letter.”
That was the mood after a season that turned ugly fast. The Rams had battled injuries to key players on both sides of the ball: quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Cooper Kupp played in nine games. and defensive tackle Aaron Donald missed six games. After a shaky 3-3 start, Los Angeles lost six straight games following the Week 7 bye and finished the year 5-12.
McVay described waiting for the season to end, saying, “I was counting down the days for that season to be over.” He added, “What a fraud.”
A week later than ESPN’s early reporting, the decision crystallized. At the end of the 2022 season, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that McVay’s “immediate future … is in limbo,” writing that the head coach was still undecided about returning for the 2023 season. One week later, McVay reportedly informed the team that he had decided to stay.
Three years later, McVay gave a more personal account of why he didn’t take the exit.
In the same May 19 podcast episode, he said he talked through his thought process with his wife after the season ended. The Rams faced a “really tough upcoming season” in 2023 following the disappointment of 2022, and McVay had the option to pivot into a media career if he stepped away.
“Basically, I was trying to rationalize and justify why I should do it,” McVay said. “And I remember I was explaining it, and she just kind of looked at me … and she’s like, ‘You know, that never really sounded like the kind of leader you wanted to be.’ It hit me like a ton of bricks.”
He connected the decision to a promise he felt he needed to keep at home. “And I also remember thinking to myself. the most important thing I’ve always wanted to do was be a father and be a husband. ” McVay said. “And I’ll never be able to look at my little boy when he grows up and goes through adversity and say. ‘Do as I say. not as I did.’”.
McVay said the conversation led him to a quick conclusion. “I’ll never be able to live with myself if I did this,” he said.
The result was clear: McVay returned in 2023. Los Angeles went 10-7, made the playoffs, and ended up staying the course that began with that difficult post-2022 moment and a conversation he said changed everything.
Sean McVay Los Angeles Rams NFL coaching decision Bussin' With The Boys Matthew Stafford Cooper Kupp Aaron Donald 2022 season 2023 playoffs Will Compton Taylor Lewan