02 January 2024 , 19:22
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Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay has promised the franchise that he will return for the 2024 season.
McVay, 37, is in his seventh season on the sideline with the team and is approaching the second anniversary of winning the Super Bowl. After missing out on a place in the playoffs as defending champions, McVay has them back in the postseason after already clinching a wild-card spot with one game of the regular season to spare.
But in early January last year, it was far from certain that McVay would still be on the sideline in southern California. He raised doubts about whether he would continue coaching when addressing the media following the final game of the regular season.
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Ultimately, four days later, the team confirmed he would be staying. He has previously been offered as much as $100 million over five years by Amazon Prime Video to join them as a game analyst for 'Thursday Night Football', according to the New York Post.
McVay clarified at the time to ESPN that he was not pursuing any television opportunities. But that did not stop an unnamed NFL executive sharing with The Athletic midway through last season that they think he "goes to Amazon for a bajillion dollars."
That scenario has yet to play out in the 12 months since, and McVay has committed to the team for at least another season. The coach has moved to reassure fans heading into the playoffs.
Coach McVay is promising the Rams he will be back next season (YouTube)Speaking on the ' Coach McVay Show ', he was asked whether the team's podcast would continue next season. "That I can promise you," McVay made clear.
The coach signed a contract extension in September 2022, at the same time as Rams general manager Les Snead, that runs through the 2026 season. Paying him an average annual salary of $15 million makes McVay the joint-fourth-highest-paid coach in US Sports alongside the Seattle Seahawks ' Pete Carroll.
Only the New England Patriots ' Bill Belichick ($25 million) and Sean Payton ($18 million) at the Denver Broncos earn more in the NFL, according to Sportico. Five-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich ($16 million) is the only non-football coach in their top five.
Despite being on that bumper deal, a future in broadcasting is a career McVay has openly spoken about before. Explaining in March 2022 why he turned down the opportunity to work for Amazon, he said: “Just the timing and everything that surrounded it, it’s very flattering. I’m humbled by it," he told reporters.
“To say that down the line that [broadcasting] is not something I’m very intrigued by would not be accurate, but I’m totally committed to coaching.”
McVay added: “How deep [negotiations] got is kind of stuff you want to keep behind the scenes. I’ve always been drawn to the game, and what a cool opportunity to stay connected, but you aren’t totally connected in a lot of ways that bring you that joy.”