5 players in Super Bowl 52 survived Jeff Fisher’s 7-9 bulls**t

Bill Belichick and Doug Pederson are the only two coaches we should talk about leading up to Super Bowl 52, right?

Wrong. There are five former Rams who could earn Super Bowl rings after Sunday’s big game, so it’s only right that we talk about how they survived Jeff Fisher. After all, the NFC Championship featured two former Fisher QBs in Nick Foles and Case Keenum, so this is becoming a tradition.

The Eagles’ Foles, Rodney McLeod, and Chris Long played for Fisher in St. Louis, as did New England Patriots receivers Danny Amendola and Kenny Britt. So let’s see how these five players escaped him.

After a three-year stint in Philadelphia, the Eagles traded Foles to St. Louis for oft-injured quarterback Sam Bradford in March 2015. Bradford was coming off two season-ending ACL tears, and the Rams wanted to move on from their 2010 No. 1 pick.

But Foles’ debut in St. Louis was such a failure that Fisher had to sit him in favor of Keenum. Foles threw for 2,052 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 11 games. The Rams went 7-9 in their last season in St. Louis.

The Rams relocated to Los Angeles in 2016, and they traded up to select Jared Goff with the first pick. Foles saw the writing on the wall and asked for his release. The Rams approved his request.

Foles reunited with Andy Reid, the man who drafted him in 2012, to serve as a backup behind Alex Smith. But after 2016, the Chiefs declined Foles’ second-year option, making him a free agent again.

Pederson and the Eagles took a flier on Foles, signing him to a two-year contract to backup Carson Wentz. You know the rest of this story.

As much as the football world loves to troll Fisher, he found a gem in McLeod, an undrafted free agent in 2012. McLeod played special teams in his rookie campaign, but earned a starting role in 2013. He served as the Rams’ starting safety from 2013-2015 and never missed a game.

During that span, McLeod complied 233 tackles, eight forced fumbles, five interceptions, and 18 pass deflections. In 2015, he was Pro Football Focus’ 10th-highest-graded safety.

McLeod was one of the most coveted free agent safeties in 2016, and the Eagles inked him to a five-year, $35 million deal.

When the Rams hired Fisher in 2012, Long was a four-year pro, considered one of the top pass rushers, and coming off a 13-sack season.

Long continued to have success, collecting 20 sacks in the next two years. But Long suffered an ankle injury in Week 1 of 2014, which required surgery. He only played in six games. Long appeared in 12 games in 2015, registering only three sacks.

When the Rams relocated to Los Angeles, they parted ways with their 2008 No. 2 overall pick, who was set to count $14.25 million against the cap. Long traveled to Foxborough to join the Patriots on a one-year deal. He only amassed four sacks as a rotational player and won a Super Bowl.

Last offseason, the Eagles inked Long to a two-year deal. Now, he is one of the best players on the Eagles’ defense and has a chance to capture his second consecutive Super Bowl win.

When the Rams hired Fisher in 2012, the do-it-all receiver was coming off a season-ending triceps injury.

He only played in 11 games under Fisher, but caught 63 passes for 666 yards and three touchdowns. He became a free agent in 2013, and the Rams decided not to bring him back.

So, the Patriots took a flier on the injury-prone receiver — which turned out great. Amendola has been with the Patriots since 2013 and only missed 11 games. In those five seasons, he corralled 230 passes for 2,383 yards and 12 touchdowns. Now, Amendola is one of the best players on New England, and Tom Brady’s relies on him during big situations.

After two seven-win seasons, Fisher called on an old friend to help revive the offense in 2014.

When Fisher was in Tennessee in 2009, the Titans used their first-round pick on Britt, a standout receiver from Rutgers. Britt eclipsed the 700-yard mark in his first two seasons, but around the time the Titans fired Fisher after 2010, Britt’s career took a turn. He battled with injuries, inconsistent play, and was arrested for resisting arrest and an alleged car chase with police officers.

Britt’s first season in St. Louis was solid. He became the first Ram since Torry Holt in 2008 to register 700 or more receiving yards. Over his last two seasons with the Rams, Britt racked up a total 1,683.

The Rams fired Fisher after five seasons, and they got rid of some players he brought in. Britt signed a four-year, $32.5 million deal with the Cleveland Browns. He only gained 233 yards in nine games, and Cleveland released him in December.

A few days later, the Patriots signed Britt to a two-year deal.

This goes to show you how quickly things can change in the NFL. These are same players who were once ridiculed under Fisher. Now, they all have a shot at hoisting a Lombardi Trophy.