Todd Gurley situation continues to dominate Rams camp

Any Los Angeles Rams fan not worried about Todd Gurley either isn’t paying attention, or has an incredibly low pulse.

Last year, Todd Gurley missed the final two regular season games with a mysterious knee ailment. He was then limited in both the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl. Afterwards, it was revealed he dealt with arthritis in the knee. It’s a condition that must have general manager Les Snead gulping hard. After all, it was Snead who signed him to a four-year , $57.5 million extension that begins next season.

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In the early goings of training camp, head coach Sean McVay has ben asked repeatedly about Gurley and the plan to deal with his lingering knee problems. On Sunday, he gave some insight into the plan ahead, per NFL.com.

“There will be (days he doesn’t practice),” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “There will be some days that — depending upon his workload and looking toward that (Week 1) Carolina game — we might look at treating him like we have some of those veteran players. Todd really has become a veteran player.”

Without Gurley being able to carry the proverbial load this season, it’s hard to envision the offense being anywhere near as explosive as the 2018 version. Last year, the Rams forced opponents into stacking the box in hopes of eliminating Gurley. Then, they took their chances with Jared Goff. If Todd Gurley can’t recover and turns into somewhat the ordinary back, there’s little reason to put more than six defenders in the box. Consequently, Goff will now be throwing into more coverage and tighter windows.

Read: AJ Green Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks with Torn Ankle Ligaments

All that said, the Rams are smart to be limiting Gurley’s reps in practice. Hell, Los Angeles wouldn’t be insane to consider playing a rotation for much of the season, relying on a talented defense and the passing game to win the NFC West and maybe secure a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs. There’s no reason to force action on Gurley, especially understanding the seriousness of his condition.

With the regular season less than six weeks away, the news cycle will continually churn out new headlines and different dramas. In Los Angeles, though, it appears the only topic will be that of Gurley and whether he can answer the call when it matters most. If so, the Rams are poised to make a run at returning to the Super Bowl. If not, it could be a very disappointing year as the franchise steams towards a new stadium.