sports

Pleasant Likely to Return to Rams After DC Interviews

Rams assistant head coach Aubrey Pleasant appears set to return to Sean McVay's coaching staff in 2026 after failing to secure defensive coordinator positions with three NFL teams.

Three of the four defensive coordinator positions Pleasant interviewed for have been filled. The Las Vegas Raiders promoted their defensive line coach, while both the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers went in different directions.

Only the Cleveland Browns' defensive coordinator role remains open, but the Browns plan to interview other candidates. If Pleasant stays, he'll rejoin a mostly unchanged staff that reached the NFC title game in 2025. The only major departure was offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who became head coach for the Cardinals.