One of the major storylines surrounding the Los Angeles Rams this offseason has been centered on running back Todd Gurley’s health and potential workload moving forward.
There has been plenty of speculation regarding the state of his current health as he recovers from a lingering knee injury that plagued him during the 2018 NFL season. Although Los Angeles has done what it can to downplay the rumors, there is concern about his long-term role on offense moving forward.
The Rams have unsurprisingly taken a cautious approach with his recovery thus far as he has gotten limited work in at practice up to this point. Regardless, the coaching staff appears to be encouraged by his progress.
According to Greg Beachum of the Associated Press, passing game coordinator Shane Waldron is impressed with what he has seen so far:
Shane Waldron says the Rams’ RBs have benefitted with extra reps while Todd Gurley skips the offseason practice work, but also: “Todd has been doing a good job. Looks like he’s in great shape, and I know he has been working hard.” pic.twitter.com/N52x3n0QPz
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) June 11, 2019
Gurley even took the opportunity to downplay the significance of his injury:
Todd Gurley re-re-re-reiterates that his knee feels fine. He says his current knee health doesn't even compare to his post-surgery draft year: "I had bigger problems to worry about coming out of college. This is small."
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) June 11, 2019
This is certainly an encouraging update from both the player and coach. The Rams’ attempts to dispel any notion of Gurley’s role being in jeopardy has only been met with further speculation regarding the exact details of his injury.
Regardless, it is clear that all parties involved are optimistic about a potential resurgence in 2019. Based on his track record with injuries, there is good reason for them to be hopeful.
Gurley finds himself in familiar territory once again after tearing his ACL during his junior year at Georgia. Despite all the red flags that come with such a severe injury, the Rams still decided to take him with the 10th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
While there was plenty of doubt surrounding the team’s decision, Gurley quickly justified the pick by establishing himself as one of the NFL’s premier running backs. He appears to be anxious to prove himself once again now that he is in a similar situation.
Although the Rams may be optimistic that the former Offensive Player of the Year can return to full health, they have still taken precautions to help lower the chance of further injury moving forward. Not only were they able to shore up some solid depth behind Gurley, but they have also indicated that his workload may get a bit lighter as well.
