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L.A. Rams Head Coach: Sean Payton, Ron Rivera And More Rumors

By Pete Camarillo
Published on: 18:07 PST, Dec 24, 2016

The L.A. Rams lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 22-21, on Saturday.

L.A. blew a 14-point lead, their biggest lead of the entire season, in the fourth quarter.

The 49ers won their second game of the year and completed a 2-o series sweep of their NFC West rivals.

For the Rams, this is their second straight loss since firing head coach Jeff Fisher.

There are still a lot of rumors about Fisher’s replacement as the team tries to end a losing streak. Check out some of the rumors below.

Sean Payton

Sean Payton is the head coach of the New Orleans Saints, but he is monitoring the Rams job, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

Rapoport described Payton as a possible replacement for Fisher via CBSSports.com. Although that does not mean he is the likely candidate.

Payton has been connected to the Rams because the Saints are not expected to ask for much in a trade. He won a Super Bowl with New Orleans in 2010.

Ron Rivera

Another NFC head coach had his name connected to the Rams. Current Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera was also listed as a name to watch for the opening per NFL.com.

Rivera signed an extension with Carolina not too long ago. Therefore, he would have to want to leave a Panthers team that played in the Super Bowl a season ago.

According to NFL.com, Rivera would bring discipline to the young Rams. He would also be a fit in the L.A. market that has a large Hispanic population.

Again, the Rams face challenges trying to get Rivera. The Panthers head coach is a Northern California native, but he has coached in Carolina for the past six seasons. He is not expected to leave that city.

Hence, his agent shot down this rumor. Rivera’s agent said there has been no contact from the Rams. Further, he said Rivera is happy with his current job, per Pro Football Talk.

Other Names

The Rams are also looking at NFL coordinators as candidates to become their next head coach.

ESPN reports that L.A. has looked into Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn.

Patriots offensive coordinators Josh McDaniels and Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan were also cited as potential candidates.

According to the ESPN article, the Rams have cast a wide net to replace Fisher. They are not only focused on more popular coaching candidates.

Some of those more popular candidates include ESPN analyst Jon Gruden and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. Both have denied interest.

Gruden said that he enjoys his current job with ESPN via the Mike & Mike radio show. Meanwhile, Harbaugh said he has not even considered leaving Michigan during the team’s annual banquet.

Otherwise, CBS Sports insider Jason La Canfora said the team intends to conduct a detailed search without any preference towards a particular profile. That means the Rams will interview less experienced coordinators for their coaching vacancy too, according to La Canfora.

The insider also wrote that it would be surprising if the Rams do not hire someone with a keen understanding of offensive football. La Canfora also said the Rams will look for a coach with the pedigree to develop Jared Goff into a franchise quarterback.

The Rams need an attractive offense and quarterback to attract fans and corporate sponsors in their new L.A. market, per La Canfora.

Either way, expect more rumors about the Rams’ head coaching job until their season concludes on Jan. 1. The Arizona Cardinals travel to L.A. for a 1:25 p.m. PST game versus the Rams.

This NFC West battle will probably be the last chance for Rams interim head coach John Fassel to earn the job for himself.

[Featured Image by Daniel Gluskoter/AP Images]

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