Rams, Gurley show true class by being excited for LaFleur with Titans

As tough as it was to lose Matt LaFleur to the Tennessee Titans, members of the Los Angeles Rams couldn’t be happier for their former offensive coordinator.

When the Tennessee Titans named Mike Vrabel their head coach after parting ways with Mike Mularkey, the Los Angeles Rams seemed to be in the clear when it came to the possibility of losing Matt LaFleur, who had interviewed for the head coaching job as well. Even though he didn’t officially call plays, LaFleur was one of the main reasons behind the turnaround of the Rams last season after seeing the team make NFL history by going from worst to first in scoring, so it was easy to understand the excitement over how it looked like he would be returning in 2018.

However, in what turned out to be a surprise, even for LaFleur, Tennessee still asked him to come on board for the same position under Vrabel, which he would end up accepting. Joining a team like the Titans after seeing all of the success behind the Rams last season may have seemed like a shock at first for some fans, but also keep in mind that this was sort of a promotion for LaFleur since he would in fact get to be the play caller for the first time in his career.

Over the years, there have been times in which individuals leave their former team in the dust by taking jobs elsewhere, and as a result, grudges are held, whether it’s from other coaches or simply the players. But when it comes to members of the Rams, it’s the complete opposite, as McVay and his team couldn’t be happier for LaFleur accepting an opportunity to take his career to another level.

For instance, just take a look at what Todd Gurley had to say about his former offensive coordinator joining the Titans, and it’s clear how excited everyone is for LaFleur, courtesy of the Titans team site.

"“That is what it is all about, starting from quarterbacks coach to getting an opportunity as OC and then be able to make the play calls,” Gurley said of LaFleur. “Good for him. He’s ready. I think he’ll spark them up. I think Matt and coach McVay working with each other last year was such a good thing for us as a team, and for him. Because they were able to communicate and talk about things, and you learn from that experience. You saw how it worked on the field. And he’s been around some good coaches.“Obviously coach McVay did the play calling last year, but Matt can do it. I am definitely excited for him. He’s worked his way up and I’m glad he’s getting a chance in Tennessee.”"

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Once again, this is just one of many examples as to how much members of Los Angeles respect LaFleur not just as a coach, but as an individual since they know how much of an impact he truly made in helping this team turn everything around after a disastrous four-win season in 2017. Without question, the Rams will certainly miss having LaFleur on offense during the 2018 season, but at the end of the day, the most important factor is McVay is the one still calling the shots, meaning the team will be just fine.