Not since LeBron James announced he was taking his talents to South Beach have Miami sports fans waited so anxiously on a sports personality to make a choice.

Jeff Fisher's might not be The Decision, but it's a decision with tentacles that reach throughout the NFL, including the Carolina Panthers' coaching offices.

After missing out on the Jacksonville Jaguars' head-coaching position, Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski is set to interview this week with the St. Louis Rams, according to multiple league sources.

The Rams have offered the job to Fisher, the former Tennessee Titans' coach who is deciding between St. Louis and the Miami Dolphins. The Rams clearly are lining up a backup plan, with Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints offensive line coach/running game coordinator Aaron Kromer and Chudzinski reportedly scheduled to interview, beginning today.

The Rams were considered the front runner for Fisher because of his ties to St. Louis vice president Kevin Demoff and the presence of quarterback Sam Bradford, the No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft, on the Rams' roster. But several reports Thursday suggested Fisher might be headed to Miami.

Fisher was 142-120 in 16 seasons with the Titans, and led Tennessee to the 2000 Super Bowl, where the Titans lost 23-16 to St. Louis.

Fisher and Arizona defensive coordinator Ray Horton were the first candidates to meet with the Rams. Horton's interview assured St. Louis was in compliance with the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to talk to at least one minority candidate before offering the job to anyone.

The Rams also received permission to talk to Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, but Gruden elected not to pursue the position.

Chudzinski, 43, interviewed last week with the Jaguars, who hired Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator and ex-Buffalo Bills coach Mike Mularkey on Wednesday.

Attempts to reach Chudzinski were unsuccessful.

Chudzinski, who came with Ron Rivera from the San Diego Chargers' staff, caught the attention of NFL general managers this past season with his handling of rookie quarterback Cam Newton and his innovative offense.

In his first year in Charlotte, Chudzinski took the league's worst-ranked offense in 2010 and transformed it into a top-10 unit. The Panthers finished with the most yards (6,237) in their 17-year history and scored 47 offensive touchdowns - 30 more than in 2010 in John Fox's final season.

With Chudzinski calling a mix of option runs and vertical passes, the Panthers led the NFL with 90 plays covering 20 yards or more. Oakland and Philadelphia were tied for second with 84 such plays.

In a December interview, Chudzinski said he had tried to block out speculation.

"I'm the type of person, I'm about the here and now and trying to focus and do the best job I can do," Chudzinski said in December. "And that's right here. I love this team. I love the things we're doing. I love the direction we're going."