The mystery surrounding Los Angeles Rams tailback Todd Gurley's lack of repetitions during the NFL playoffs/Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta might have been solved.
According to The Athletic, Gurley – arguably the NFL's best running back right now (two-year average: 1,900-plus total yards, 20 TDs) – has arthritis in his left knee, the same leg/knee which underwent ACL surgery back in 2014.
This could be devastating news for the Rams, who signed Gurley to a market-setting contract extension last summer (reported four years, $60 million) and count on the UGA legend for roughly 330 touches every season.
Does this report essentially put Gurley's long-term career goals in jeopardy?
Not necessarily. Here's why:
According to The Mayo Clinic's Web site, there are six productive ways to counteract the effects of arthritis, in addition to regular and extensive physical therapy.
1) Analgesics
2) Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
3) Counter-irritants
4) Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs
5) Biologic response modifiers
6) Corticosteroids
There are also three surgery options for combating arthritis, according to the Mayo Clinic:
1) Joint repair
2) Joint replacement
3) Joint fusion
Gurley, 24, played in all three postseason games after suffering a minor knee sprain in December, posting one outing of 100-plus rushing yards and two total touchdowns during the playoffs.
However, Gurley garnered only 34 total touches during the playoffs – a far departure from collecting 19 or more touches 11 times during the 2018 season.
