If there is one story that will and should hold-over from the Super Bowl, it is Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley and the saga surrounding just how healthy he is. For fans and media wondering what in the world happened to LA’s best offensive weapon, one they relied upon heavily to get to 13-3 and to Atlanta, it is a story needing an explanation.
Getting that story may be something else entirely.
Gurley, an absolute workhorse, was held to 10 carries for 35 yards against the New England Patriots. His running mate C.J. Anderson had seven carries for 22 yards. Against the New Orleans Saints, where the whole story got rolling, the 2017 NFC Offensive Player of the Year had a paltry 10 yards on four carries.
Fans may want to take his word about being healthy, but his performance, or lack thereof, indicates a lot more than he or the Rams may be letting on. Does that mean the organization would risk penalty for not listing him on an injury report? It would seem doubtful.
Still, Los Angeles went out and made Gurley the highest paid running back, and for the two most important in the Sean McVay era, he’s been on the sideline or on a stationary bike.
While Anderson has been an absolutely wonderful story, the intriguing one and the one getting needed scrutiny is why Gurley was so limited since the playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys. In that game, he had 16 carries for 115 yards and one touchdown.
Since, Rams head coach Sean McVay has had a myriad of reasons why he’s been practically absent, but what’s getting harder to ignore or reconcile is the time off in Week 16 and 17, a bye week before the game with the Cowboys where he was solid, and then an a significant drop off to the point where it looks like he’s not the same player at all.
So, is Todd Gurley injured or is it something else?
The coming weeks will tell fans and NFL fans a lot. If there is any kind of medical procedure, the Rams may have some questions to answer. If so, additional scrutiny of McVay’s comments will be both fair and reasonable. Gurley’s profile is too high to chalk this up to “flow of the game.”
After such a tremendous season in Los Angeles, even one where it resulted in a loss at the Super Bowl, the handling of Gurley will be one that fans and NFL media analysts will continue to ask questions about for a long time.
