Sean McVay has won over the internet — a hard feat to do these days — with the compassionate pep talk he gave to Cooper Kupp after the wide receiver had a “brain fart” earlier in the game.
NFL Films cameras were rolling in Week 6 when they caught the Rams head coach talking Sunday with Kupp on the sideline.
McVay appeared to go up to Kupp to say “good job” to him after he bounced back from an earlier mistake, but Kupp sounded as if he was still harping on the error.
“Hey it’s alright,” McVay said. “Hey, give yourself some grace. Love you.”
The initial words from McVay didn’t stop Kupp from continuing to criticize his own mistake as the coach started to walk back down the sideline.
However, he quickly pulled a 180 to continue the conversation.
“Sometimes it happens,” McVay added.
The clip drew praise from football fans who applauded McVay for his words to Kupp in that moment.
Kupp had a strong outing, even with whatever error forced him to beat himself up a bit.
He finished the game with seven catches for 148 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown reception, in the Rams’ 26-9 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
The compassionate touch will suit McVay well away from the football field as he and his wife prepare to welcome their first child.
The couple is expecting a baby boy this month, but don’t anticipate it impacting any of McVay’s coaching duties.
He joked Monday that “my son knows better than to come during the game.”
He added that he didn’t anticipate the birth of his son conflicting with a game.
“Everything is kind of on schedule for what we had planned and do not see that interfering with anything as it relates football-wise,” McVay said, according to ESPN.
The Rams next host the Steelers on Sunday.