NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says St. Louis expects Gurley to miss the “first couple games” of the regular season.
Gurley is viewed as 90 percent recovered from his torn ACL, but the area around the repaired ligament isn’t far enough along for the team to feel confident about a full return to action.
While the team practiced on one field, a pad-less rookie ran routes against air and caught passes. He looked completely normal, which is the curse of Todd Gurley, their first-round pick. He’s so athletic that even when he’s rated at 90 percent on a surgically repaired knee, he looks 100 percent. But make no mistake, Gurley isn’t ready yet. He won’t play in the preseason. I’m told the Rams don’t even expect him to be ready for the season. They believe he’ll miss the first couple games, not wanting to risk injury until he’s ready. The ligament is strong, but the area around it isn’t there yet. With so much invested in a player compared to a young Adrian Peterson, St. Louis will be cautious. But the future is so bright for Gurley, team personnel can barely contain themselves.
The Rams are right to be cautious with a running back who could become the next dominant force in the NFL for years to come.
By Glenn Erby
