Mike LaFleur is taking his talents to Tinseltown.
Sean McVay is adding LaFleur as offensive coordinator of the Rams, according to multiple reports Friday.
LaFleur was offensive coordinator of the Jets the last two seasons before being relieved of his duties earlier this month by head coach Robert Saleh. Prior to that, he was the passing game coordinator for the 49ers for four seasons, and an offensive assistant for the Falcons before that.
He was allowed to pursue other jobs by the Jets after a frustrating offensive season hightlighted by the regression of Zach Wilson, the second-year quarterback who was the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
“Over the course of the few days, we just got a lot of inquiries about his availability from some teams,” Saleh said earlier in January. “Just talking with Mike, just felt like it would be in everyone’s best interests to pursue those opportunities. So, he’s going to be fine.”
Mike LaFleur at Jets practice Bill KostrounNFL legend Steve Young was critical of the way LaFleur handled Wilson.
“Mike kind of kept him at arm’s length and kind of gave him the tough love aspect, and I don’t think that’s really useful for Zach,” Young said earlier this month.
LaFleur has not previously worked under McVay, though he worked for years under Kyle Shanahan in the same general offensive system. His older brother, Matt LaFleur, currently the head coach of the Packers, was McVay’s offensive coordinator during the head coach’s first season with the Rams in 2017.
Robert Saleh and Mike LaFleur Getty Images
McVay told his players he would be returning after contemplating his options this offseason. Getty ImagesThe Rams announced that McVay, considering stepping away from coaching, would be staying with the team on Jan. 13. The team is also bringing back quarterback Matthew Stafford after an injury-plagued season, giving LaFleur a Super Bowl-winning veteran under center to work with.
The previous Rams’ offensive coordinator, Liam Coen, departed for the same job at Kentucky earlier this month.
The Jets replaced LaFleur with Nathaniel Hackett in what many observers believe could be the first domino in a bid to trade for Aaron Rodgers. Hackett was Green Bay’s offensive coordinator during Rodgers’ two most recent MVP campaigns, in 2021 and 2022. However, the Broncos seemingly deployed the same strategy last year in hiring Hackett as head coach, only for Rodgers and the Packers to agree on a contract extension. The Broncos instead traded for Russell Wilson. Their season wound up being a disaster, and Hackett was fired before the end of it.
