The Los Angeles Rams announced that running back Todd Gurley has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. The team also signed running back John Kelly from the practice squad to help replace him and waived wide receiver Nsimba Webster as a corresponding move.
Gurley missed practice throughout the week with a thigh injury and was already considered doubtful to suit up. Aqib Talib was also ruled out of the game with a rib injury.
This is a huge blow to the Rams offense as Gurley had begun to get more work both on the ground and in the air after his low usage outings to begin the year. The 2017 Offensive Player of the Year has looked healthy when given touches out of the backfield but now Los Angeles will need to figure out another way to get the ground game going without the Pro-Bowler.
With Gurley out, Sean McVay will have to lean on Malcolm Brown and potentially Darrell Henderson. Brown has proven to be more than capable when given the opportunity, as evidenced by his two-touchdown effort in the team’s Week 1 win over the Carolina Panthers.
Henderson, on the other hand, has yet to show that he was worth the third-round investment as he has only appeared in two offensive snaps so far. The Memphis product was lauded around draft time as an electric runner who was capable of breaking off a big play and he may finally get his chance in Week 6.
However, the Rams now have a much steeper hill to climb given how well the 49ers have been playing. Kyle Shanahan has shown how dangerous his offense can be with a healthy roster and their defense is a legitimate unit with playmakers at every level. Hopefully, Los Angeles comes out fast as this game could quickly get out of hand.
Kelly gives the Rams some running back depth with Gurley missing the game. He was a sixth-round drafted pick in 2018 out of Tennessee but has seen limited action in his time with the team.
