Former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said the team made the right call in promoting Nate Scheelhaase.
Former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur expressed strong approval of the team’s decision in selecting his successor.
When LaFleur addressed the media at the NFC coaches breakfast during the NFL Annual Meeting, he made it clear that promoting Nate Scheelhaase to offensive coordinator was an easy and obvious decision for the team.
"I've been on record there in L.A. a lot just talking about what I feel in Nate Scheelhaase, so that was a no-brainer," LaFleur said.
The former Rams offensive coordinator went on to say that Scheelhaase had been well-prepared for the role. On top of that, Scheelhaase has been involved in game-planning sessions and gained firsthand experience with the demanding weekly routine.
LaFleur praised Scheelhaase not only for his coaching ability but for his character and ability to connect with players, expressing strong confidence that he will succeed in the position.
Scheelhaase, 35, will enter his third season with the Rams and his first as the offensive coordinator. In 2024, he served as the Offensive assistant and passing game specialist.
In 2025, Scheelhaase was promoted to the pass game coordinator. The Rams' offense was among the best these past two seasons, but especially in 2025.
Los Angeles' passing game was elite, and while Matthew Stafford played a huge part in that, the people behind the scenes also played a role. That's where Scheelhaase comes in. The Rams averaged 276.9 passing yards per game, totaling 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns through the air.
The Rams ran the most effective play-action game as well, with Stafford throwing a record 214 play-action passes for a total of 1,786 yards and 20 touchdowns. The offense was an explosive and elite unit, and that is only to continue in 2026 with Scheelhaase now at the helm on the offensive side of things.
This is Scheelhaase's biggest test yet. Before his time in Los Angeles, he served as the Illinois football operations, running back coach, and offensive assistant from 2015 to 2017. Following his time at Illinois, he spent the next six seasons at Iowa State.
There he served as the running backs coach, wide receivers coach, running game coordinator, running backs coach and wide receivers coach and the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in his final season at Ames.
Scheelhaase has big shoes to fill, but with Sean McVay and Stafford on his side, the only thing he needs to do is not mess it up.
LaFleur served as the Rams' offensive coordinator for the past three seasons. He was hired by the Arizona Cardinals this offseason to become their 44th head coach in franchise history.