There has been a lot of talk about Todd Gurley battling knee issues since he was largely ineffective in the Super Bowl and NFC Championship Game, and we finally have confirmation that there is at least something going on.
Gurley’s trainer, Travelle Gaines, told Dave Richard of CBS Sports this week that Gurley is managing some pain and soreness in his knee, but he referred to it as an “arthritic component” that was expected after the star running back tore his ACL in college.
“Everybody knew when Todd came out of Georgia that there would be some kind of arthritic component to his knee, which is part of every surgery whether it’s a shoulder, a knee, an ankle,” Gaines said. “He’s now at the year-five mark, all we’re doing is managing that. If we can pound him less in the offseason while keeping his weight down, working on his strength, working on his agility in short areas, that’s going to give him a better chance to be healthy Weeks 14 through 17 when they really count.”
While he had a couple of big games toward the end of last season, Gurley seemed to wear down as the year went on. His 256 rushing attempts were actually his lowest mark since his rookie year in 2015, so you can understand the concerns about workload. Gaines said he is unaware of any concrete plan to reduce Gurley’s workload after the Los Angeles Rams drafted Darrell Henderson in the third round, whom he described Henderson as a “home-run type guy.”
Gurley tore his ACL in 2014 at Georgia. His struggles in the Super Bowl led to the assumption that he must be injured, and Gaines admitted the 24-year-old was “a little tired.” However, the trainer insists Gurley’s offseason routine remains exactly the same as it has been since he entered the NFL.
“Not one thing has changed,” Gaines said. “Our routine has worked, he’s been strong, he’s been in great shape, he’s done well.”
Rams coach Sean McVay admitted this offseason that the team needs to pay more attention to Gurley’s workload, and one report claimed that was a very mild way of putting it. It’s certainly a plus that there is no structural damage, but the Rams need Gurley to be better than 35 yards on 10 carries if they want to contend for a Super Bowl again. Managing the “arthritic component” will be key to making sure he can do that.
