It’s a subject that just won’t go away until Los Angeles Rams Todd Gurley puts it to rest on the field. And, even then, he’ll have to keep doing all through the regular season and, presumably, the postseason. It’s his knee and we’re talking about it. He’s kind of done talking about it.
He’s been asked about it constantly. Not only him, but head coach Sean McVay, quarterback Jared Goff, pretty much any Ram with a microphone in his face has been questioned about the super star running back’s possibly arthritic knee.
#LARams LIVE: Todd Gurley Day 1 #RamsCamp Press Conference https://t.co/VaUsV3JZEK
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) July 28, 2019
Gurley, in his first press conference at Los Angeles’ training camp, of course fielded a question about his erstwhile appendage.
““Y’all have got to stop putting this bad energy in my knee, man. Just let it be,” Gurley said, mostly joking. “I’m not eager doing this. I don’t have to prove anything to nobody. I have been doing this for years now. So, it’s the same stuff every year.”
But it’s not the same stuff, really. Gurley’s knee obviously got to him by the end of last season and his production dipped, and so did the Rams’ offense. They still made it all the way to the Super Bowl, but that game could have had a very different outcome with a non-hobbled Gurley.
Todd Gurley going through individual drills. pic.twitter.com/mXg8ovNPEb
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) July 27, 2019
What can we expect this year? My guess is, Gurley is fine. Or, at least as fine as he was at the beginning of last season which is pretty spectacular. What you won’t see (or like if you play fantasy football), is Gurley playing garbage minutes in blowouts helping run out the clock. If Los Angeles has a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, expect to see plenty of Malcolm Brown and rookie Darrell Henderson.
In fact, any time the Rams are up significantly, expect McVay to give Gurley the hook and a ball cap. We’re probably not looking at a 2,000 all-purpose yards season, but 1,500 with double digit touchdowns is still very much on the table.
