Jan. 28, 2026, 4:07 p.m. PT
The Los Angeles Rams are on the cusp of keeping all their assistants for 2026.
After defensive coordinator Chris Shula and passing game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase were passed over for head coaching jobs with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, respectively, offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur might not get one, either.
LaFleur was reportedly considered the frontrunner to land the Arizona Cardinals head coach job heading into this week before the team hosted him for a two-day interview. However, LaFleur left that interview without a deal to become the Cardinals’ next head coach, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
“They had Mike LaFleur in for two days, and it started to feel like there was momentum toward that potentially getting done. He did leave without a deal,” Garofolo reported this week. “Which is an indication that either they want to do a little bit more research or he maybe wants to think about this a little bit longer as well.”
As Garafolo noted, this doesn’t mean LaFleur won’t get the job. It just means the Cardinals were comfortable letting him leave without a contract, which could indicate trepidation on either side.
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There are only two head coaching jobs left available as of this writing: The Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders. LaFleur virtually interviewed both, but only had a second interview with Arizona. For what it’s worth, Shula and Scheelhaase both virtually interviewed with the Cardinals and Raiders, but there hasn’t been any reporting that either are leaders for the job.
What this means is that the Rams could come out of the 2026 head coaching cycle unscathed if neither of those three men lands a head coaching job. Scheelhaase reportedly plans to return to the Rams staff for this upcoming season, and it stands to reason Shula and LaFleur will too.
However, this doesn’t mean other members of the Rams staff won’t get poached. Last year, the Houston Texans hired Rams tight ends coach and pass game coordinator Nick Caley as their next offensive coordinator. Defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant also interviewed for a defensive coordinator job in 2025 and recently interviewed for the Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator position in 2026.
The Rams are looking to retool for the 2026 season after failing to make the Super Bowl this past year. Bringing back their most important coaches will play a huge role in keeping the contention window alive.
