The Los Angeles Chargers hired Brandon Staley as their next head coach on Sunday, but he may not be the only Rams assistant to jump from one L.A. team to the other. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell is a potential candidate to follow Staley to the Chargers, where he would also be their offensive coordinator.
As Pelissero points out, because it would be a lateral move from OC to OC, Sean McVay could block O’Connell from leaving. It’s unlikely that he would do so after he let Matt LaFleur leave for the same job in 2018, but it’s possible that the Rams could lose both of their top coordinators this offseason.
One possibility for #Chargers offensive coordinator: #Rams OC Kevin O’Connell, who’s very close with new coach Brandon Staley. O’Connell would call plays, but it’s a lateral move on paper, so Sean McVay would have to let him out. If not, Shane Steichen’s a strong internal option.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 18, 2021
O’Connell didn’t call the plays with the Rams, as that was McVay’s job. But with the Chargers, he would get the chance to call them. This is a similar situation to LaFleur’s three years ago when he also got the opportunity to call the plays in Tennessee after one year with the Rams.
McVay hired O’Connell as his offensive coordinator before the 2020 season, bringing him over from Washington where he held the same position. O’Connell is a former NFL quarterback and was a third-round pick by the Patriots in 2008.
