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The Rams Have 1 Of The NFL’s Brightest Young Minds — And They Know It
* https://www.lafbnetwork.com/nfl/la-rams/la-rams-news/rams-nate-scheelhaase-role/
The Los Angeles Rams didn’t just keep an assistant coach this offseason — they held onto one of the fastest-rising offensive minds in football, even in the face of poaching attempts by the Buccaneers and Jaguars.
Nate Scheelhaase, who joined Sean McVay’s staff in 2024 as the team’s pass game specialist, has quickly earned a reputation around the league as a sharp, innovative teacher with a quarterback’s eye and a coordinator’s command. In 2025, he’ll take on an even larger role as the Rams’ passing game coordinator — a clear sign of how valued he is inside the building, and how critical his voice has become in shaping the future of the offense.
“We’ve been really fortunate to have Nate,” McVay said this week. “He’s a great coach, a rare communicator, and incredibly sharp. His perspective is big-picture. He makes everyone around him better.”
Scheelhaase’s trajectory has been swift but steady. A former star quarterback at Illinois, he climbed the collegiate coaching ladder before becoming offensive coordinator at Iowa State. In his first NFL season last year, he immediately impressed McVay and his staff — not only with his technical understanding of modern offenses, but with his ability to connect with players and build trust across position groups.
Scheelhaase’s ascent is no fluke. At Iowa State, he elevated the Cyclones’ offense from 20.2 to 26.2 points per game and coached quarterback Brock Purdy during his college development. His red zone efficiency — a staggering 31-for-33 scoring rate — foreshadowed the Rams’ desire to improve in that very area. That résumé made him an ideal successor to Jake Peetz, part of a pipeline that has historically propelled Rams assistants to coordinator and head coach roles.
“Great generals need great lieutenants,” one insider said of the hire — and McVay seems to agree. Scheelhaase isn’t just drawing up concepts. He’s translating complex systems for a young offense, helping bridge the Rams’ post-rebuild era. For a team likely to load up on offensive playmakers in 2025, his continued presence is a quiet but pivotal win.
While the Rams’ coaching ranks saw some offseason turnover — including Nick Caley’s departure to Houston — Scheelhaase’s continued presence ensures stability and growth in the most important phase of the team’s development: the evolution of a post-LeBron offense built around quarterback Matthew Stafford and a younger wave of skill players.
Internally, there’s a sense that Scheelhaase could be a future offensive coordinator — and perhaps more — either in Los Angeles or elsewhere. The fact that the Rams get at least one more season with him is a quiet but meaningful win in a year of transition.
“He’s got such a humility about him,” McVay said. “You see why he had success in college, and why so many people are starting to recognize what he brings at this level. We’re lucky to be able to keep building with him.”
As the Rams continue to retool around a new generation of offensive weapons, including rising receivers like Puka Nacua, Scheelhaase’s role will only grow. Whether he’s helping McVay scheme passing concepts, mentoring young wideouts, or fine-tuning Stafford’s late-career production, his fingerprints are all over the Rams’ offensive identity.
In a league constantly searching for the next big thing, the Rams might already have theirs — and they’re not letting go just yet.
a collection of passages about Landman from other articles covering this year’s training camp:
1.
Nate Landman is the best free agent signing for the Rams
…Landman has fixed the issues within the linebacker room overnight. He’s the current defensive signal caller, he has great instincts, plays the run like a champ, and is brilliant in coverage. He is everything the Rams needed last season, and his ability to command has allowed Omar Speights to go and hunt.
2.
Landman has been the Rams’ best linebacker so far, excelling in coverage and run defense, with the ability to communicate and coordinate attacks across the line.
3.
Nate Landman displays command of the field and huddle. Landman set the defensive sideline into uproars when he punched the ball out of tight end Davis Allen’s hands during red zone drills, and the fumble was recovered by cornerback Darious Williams. He was a leader in the huddle once again and McVay was complimentary about his leadership skills.
4.
Landman in command. Linebackers coach Greg Williams told theRams.com during OTAs that Landman was transitioning “seamlessly” into Los Angeles’ defense, and also that “he’s come in and guys respect him just from where he’s been and what he’s done.” That was evident throughout Thursday’s practice. Whenever the defense huddled, he consistently had the eyes and attention of every teammate pre-snap, which says a lot about the respect he has already commanded in such a short amount of time.
5.
The Rams have a special, cerebral player in Nate Landman. Landman continually snuffed out the run and play action, making critical decisions that prohibited the ball from being thrown downfield. Landman appears to be the difference maker that will take this defense from explosive to dominating.
https://www.si.com/nfl/rams/stetson-bennett-sean-mcvay-davante-adams-nate-landman
6.
He’s only been in the league three years, but Landman worked his way from undrafted free agent to reliable starter in just his second professional season. He’s been more than willing to share his knowledge with a group full of similarly under-looked players in Los Angeles. His success against the run will be a welcome addition to the Rams’ defense.
In 2023, Nate Landman played 16 games for Atlanta and had the 2nd-highest run stop percentage in the NFL among qualified linebackers.
Is Colin Cowherd right about the current status of the Rams?
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OPG3Vte1Lyk
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