The Atlanta Falcons signed Todd Gurley to a one-year, $5 million contract after he was released by the Los Angeles Rams. While he has accomplished a lot in the NFL, there are concerns about his knee issues.
According to Jeff Schultz of The Athletic, Gurley’s knee issues are ‘very bad’ currently and this was a concern about him when he entered the NFL.
An NFL source told The Athletic that there were concerns about his surgically repaired left knee when he came out of Georgia.
When asked how bad the knee is now, the source said “Very bad.”
There was a noticeable decline in Gurley’s production last season as he totaled 1,059 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns in 15 appearances. That was down from 1831 combined yards and 21 touchdowns the season prior.
The Falcons are taking a risk by trusting that Gurley’s health will be able to hold up for an entire season. However, it’s not that great of a risk considering how his contract is just for the 2020 season. It’s a worthwhile arrangement for both sides considering the circumstances.
It’s also worth noting, teams may have simply figured out Rams head coach Sean McVay’s offense. After taking the NFL by storm and leading Los Angeles to a Super Bowl appearance, the decline was steep and they failed to even make the playoffs the following season.
Playing alongside Matt Ryan and Julio Jones should certainly help get the most out of Gurley. Teams will have to focus on other elements of the offense and won’t be able to focus so much on stopping the run. For a running back with knee issues, that’s an advantageous arrangement.
Only time will tell if the Todd Gurley experiment will work out for the Falcons. In the meantime, he will be working hard to ensure that the proves the Rams made a mistake by moving on from him.
