Coach Nick Caley is the one LA Rams coach who didn't get away

When it comes to the LA Rams coaching staff, the question is not whether any members will be lured away by promotion and pay raises to coach for other NFL teams, but how many will be pried away. The annual exodus of coaches has become so routine, that I would not be surprised to see oddsmakers setting an over/under number to the number of Rams coaches lost in 2025.

For 2024, if that over/under number was six, you would have won by opting for the over. Isn't that outlandish? A team that was at one point struggling with an 8-18 record over 1.5 seasons losing more than six coaches in one offseason? It's baffling.

And yet, the grass was not greener for all coaches who were offered promotions to coach elsewhere. For LA Rams Tight Ends Coach Nick Caley, he turned down a huge promotion to become the New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator, and the hefty pay raise that comes with it, to remain on the LA Rams coaching staff:

That's pretty remarkable. And yet, Coach Caley did not choose the carrot on the stick, opting instead to remain with the LA Rams as a returning member of the staff. What does he know that other coaches may have missed?

III: Loyalty is rewarded on the Rams coaching staff

Nick Caley was added to the LA Rams coaching staff in 2023 to take on the role of TE coach. Caley had the opportunity to work with veterans Tyler Higbee and Brycen Hopkins, as well as welcome TE Hunter Long and rookie Davis Allen into the fold. Perhaps the spotlight of how well he can prepare tight ends to fill roles in the offense is best displayed by Davis Allen, who caught 10 of 11 passes thrown his way for 95 yards and a touchdown.

The Rams offense is WR-centric, and getting tight ends involved in the passing game is a tough climb. But after witnessing how tight ends dominated both the AFC and NFC Championship games, I expect that the Rams will integrate more tight end plays into the offense. And that initiative will be led by Coach Caley, who has been promoted to Tight Ends Coach/Pass Game Coordinator for 2024.

II: Remaining with Coach McVay is great long-term strategy

Despite the incentive to take the money and run like the Lido Shuffle song, Nick Caley wisely sees a better long term strategy by remaining on the Rams coaching staff, and learning more from HC Sean McVay. Let's be realistic about it, the New England Patriots have a ways to go even with an excellent offensive coordinator to turn their offense around. Statistically speaking, the Patriots offense was the 30th ranked offense in 2023.

Even with the Patriots possessing the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, some believe that the Patriots may not opt to select a quarterback. If they do, the third quarterback off the board will likely need time to develop. If they do not, they could trade the pick to another QB-needy team for a huge ransom, but still need to address many offensive positions. The Patriots offense is not exactly ideal for a first-time offensive coordinator.

I: LA Rams deserve to be in SB LIX conversation

There is a lot to be said about backing a winner, and I am not the only one to believe that the LA Rams will compete in Super Bowl LIX this year. If I were Coach Caley, that would be enough incentive right there to stay with the Rams. After all, just one in 32 teams can boast that honor in any given season. With NFL careers averaging less than 32 years to cycle once through every NFL team, you can see why the Lombardi Trophy can become so prestigious in NFL circles.

Ultimately, this could realistically be Nick Caley's lone realistic opportunity to be coaching for a true NFL Championship competitor. Those opportunities should not be discarded lightly.

Consider how many NFL veteran free agent players are willing to play for less money to compete for a Super Bowl? And even with accepting less money to play for a winner, the odds are still not in their favor. Coach Caley got a promotion and a pay raise to coach for a competitor in 2024.

And I, for one, think that he made the right choice