5 Observations From the Rams' Championship Parade and Rally

Here are five things that stood out from the Rams' championship parade and rally.

Nicholas Cothrel | Feb 16, 2022

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Los Angeles Rams

LOS ANGELES – The Rams took to the streets of Los Angeles on Wednesday to celebrate their Super Bowl LVI victory over the Bengals, soaking in the monumental achievement with their fans.

Sunday's winning effort marked the Rams' second Super Bowl in franchise history and their first while playing in the L.A. market.

Rams players, coaches and family members road atop double-decker buses that cruised the parade route which traveled from the Shrine Auditorium and finished up at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Following the 1.1-mile parade that covered the streets of L.A., the team held a rally outside the L.A. Coliseum in front of the peristyle.

With a day full of joy from all around, here are five observations from the Rams' championship parade and rally.

Aaron Donald hints at a return to the Rams

Feb 16, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald holds the Vince Lombardi trophy during the Super Bowl LVI championship rally at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Donald, the Rams' defensive superstar who’s accomplished just about everything on an NFL player's checklist, hasn't been clear on what his future holds across the last handful of days. While Donald just capped off his age 30 season with plenty of good football ahead of him, there have been rumblings about the seven-time All-Pro possibly calling it a career.

Rams coach Sean McVay used Wednesday's celebratory event as a way to get the fanbase in on the sales pitch to bring Donald back. With Donald at the podium, McVay ignited a chant on the microphone, "run it back, run it back, run it back!"

Donald stood there for a couple of seconds to analyze the situation before eventually saying, "We built a super team, we can bring the super-team back," Donald said. "Why not run it back!? We can be world champs again!"

Andrew Whitworth isn't ready to commit whether or not he'll be back for another season

Feb 16, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams tackle Andrew Whitworth holds the Vince Lombardi trophy during the Super Bowl LVI championship rally at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Whitworth, the ageless wonder who became the oldest left tackle to start an NFL game at the age of 40 this season, while also becoming the Walter Payton Man of the Year and a first-time Super Bowl champion, could perhaps walk off into the sunset and call it a carer.

When asked at the rally if there was anything McVay could do in order to get him to subscribe to the 'run it back' campaign, Whitworth wasn't ready to commit to any decision.

"You know, we'll save that conversation for another day," Whitworth said in response to a question that asked about his future, before shifting a focus to the people who’ve doubted him throughout his career. "Five years ago I was told I was a little too old. I was told that maybe my time was done… bet on yourself because five years later, I’m holding this trophy up and I’m 40-years-old.”

Sean McVay: "This sh** will never ever get old"

Feb 16, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay during the Super Bowl LVI championship rally at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

McVay is held league-wide as one of the NFL's top coaches in the sport. He just became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl. But his future in coaching entering Wednesday had been left in question when he said earlier this week following the Rams' championship victory that "we'll see" when asked if he'd be the coach of the team next season.

While it could be more of a leverage-play for a new contract than anything, McVay could also garner interest from television networks in an effort to poach him away from the sidelines. However, Wednesday when speaking at the podium, McVay was perhaps the most fired up individual on the stage, making it seem as if he’s not going anywhere.

"I can't say enough about this team, the resilience, the mental toughness – Super Bowl champs. This sh** will never ever get old," McVay said. "Give it up for these players getting it done."

Rams GM Les Snead plans to stay true to his formula

Feb 16, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead speaks during Super Bowl LVI championship rally at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Rams' all-in approach, acquiring proven talent and parting ways with future draft picks, has been the blueprint for how they do business. Certainly, it's not the most common form of team-building across the NFL, but the Rams are having success with it and Snead indicates that won't change.

Snead, who's casually joked throughout the year about his formula of handing out draft picks to acquire proven commodities, was at it again at the start of the team's rally.

"Here's what I know the late John Madden said: that winning the Super Bowl is the highest of high. So you know what – our players, our coaches, Stan (Kroenke), his family, every one of us in the organization who's supportive of that mission, and everyone out there – you know what, we know what that highest of high feels like today," Snead said. "So in honor of the shirt, eff them picks – we'll use them to go win more Super Bowls."

Cooper Kupp pays tribute to Los Angeles icon Kobe Bryant

Feb 16, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp holds the Vince Lombardi trophy during Super Bowl LVI championship parade. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Kupp isn't from L.A. but he sure knows how to honor one of the city’s all-time greats. Kupp wore a Kobe Bryant jersey, featuring Bryant's early-career number 8 on the front and late-career number 24 on the back.

At the podium during the Rams' celebration, Kupp was asked about what went into his parade attire of wearing Bryant's jersey. The Super Bowl MVP spoke about the inspiration that the Lakers' great instilled in him, laying the foundation for what hard work looks like.

“I’m standing here in this city that knows nothing but championships,” Kupp said. “We’re all here celebrating this championship. Kobe is a part of this. He belongs here. I’ll tell you what, he set the standard. All I know is get back to work, let’s run it back.”

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Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick and Ram Digest on Twitter @NickCothrel & @RamDigestSI for more Rams coverage.

Published Feb 16, 2022

NICHOLAS COTHREL

Nick Cothrel covers the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated.