Todd Gurley’s health is the X-factor for the Los Angeles Rams
By Steve Rivera
It’s a new normal for the Los Angeles Rams and their fans when running back Todd Gurley is involved as questions about his health never really get answered.
In a most peculiar way, Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley may be the biggest X-factor in the 2019 season. Gurley, who has been the centerpiece and workhorse for head coach Sean McVay’s highly touted offense, faces perhaps the biggest challenge in his career.
As injuries go, Los Angeles deserves due criticism for its handling of Gurley in regards to information. They haven’t been forthcoming with much except for what is now a tired company line.
”Feeling good” is all the Rams running back would offer at the training facility when asked about the said knee, per ESPN. “I don’t know, man,” Gurley said. “Y’all ask the questions. It’s always something every offseason”
And so it goes in Los Angeles for the team who made sure their best offensive weapon got paid. Now, after a $60 million extension with $45 million guaranteed, it’s anybody’s guess how productive Gurley may be in 2019.
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It’s a fair question and one that McVay and the rest of the team will be answering deep into the regular season.
Since that two week stretch where C.J. Anderson was brought in to spell Gurley late last December, the Rams organization has gone mostly quiet on what exactly the nature of the injury is. Whether it’s an arthritic condition or something more degenerative, Los Angeles seems content to wait it out, and let his field performance and production answer the question.
That’s a gamble, especially as the Rams still have enough pieces to get back to a Super Bowl. Perhaps the best possible scenario looking forward is that of quarterback Jared Goff. Goff looks to be in a position to take that next step and be less reliant on Gurley carrying the bulk of the offensive load.
As for McVay, he continues to be coy on the subject, almost ignoring what looks to be obvious when it comes to his star running back. While McVay adheres to the team’s approved message, it is one that has the potential to blow-up in the face of the organization.
"”But with what he’s said, with how he’s feeling, we feel really good about Todd Gurley continuing to be the player that he’s been over the course of his career and especially these last couple years where his production speaks for itself.”"
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Perhaps the injury isn’t what it certainly appears to be, a career changer for Gurley. If it is, expect to hear the phrase ”load management” often in 2019. That would mean all the good feelz coming from the Rams training facility was a charade which would be a black-eye for a head coach who seemed to be getting everything right.