Rams' Sean McVay on nearly stepping away after 2022 season: 'I was quitting because I couldn't handle the losing'

The disappointing 2022 season for the Los Angeles Rams nearly led head coach Sean McVay to walk away and take a break from the sidelines, he told the “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast this week. The 2022 Rams were coming off a Super Bowl victory, but they finished 5-12 and out of playoff contention in the NFC. Their 12 losses were the most by a reigning champion since the 1999 Denver Broncos and they were the first Super Bowl winner to follow that up with losing season since the 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It didn’t help that quarterback Matthew Stafford (concussion, spinal cord contusion), defensive tackle Aaron Donald (high ankle sprain) and wide receiver Cooper Kupp (high ankle sprain) all missed a combined 22 games. Play 2026 Soccer Pick 'Em with FOX One and make your picks for the world's biggest soccer tournament McVay, 40, told former NFL players Will Compton and Taylor Lewan that the losing took its toll — so much so that he was eagerly anticipating the end of that season. Safe to say Sean McVay made the right decision to stay coaching pic.

twitter. com/QgVpBPPeAX — Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) May 19, 2026 "It took that 5-12 year where you're really getting broken down and I almost quit coaching," McVay said. "You could use the narrative that I was going to go to media or whatever, but the truth would have been I was quitting because I couldn't handle the losing.

" McVay added that due to several players signing extensions or having their contracts restructured, there would need to be a turning over of the roster with talent having to be released. That played a part in his thinking and lack of enthusiasm for the 2023 season. As he was contemplating his future with the franchise, McVay’s wife was the one who snapped him out of his funk and made him question the decision of quitting following a tough year.