Rams RB Todd Gurley is a go. St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher announced on Monday that the 2015 10th overall pick was cleared to practice fully with the team. Gurley suffered a torn ACL on November 14, 2014 in a game against the Auburn Tigers. That didn’t stop the Rams from selecting him with the 10th overall pick in last spring’s draft. Gurley has since been rehabbing his knee and doing drills that he can during the offseason and training camp.
Jeff Fisher has emphasized that despite Gurley being cleared for full practice, the Rams organization will still take things with Gurley and his knee recovery very slowly.
"We're gonna progress him slowly, but he'll be able to participate in the 7-on-7 team drills," Fisher told the media. "Up to this point, he's just participated in the 1-on-1s. So we'll take it slow but it'll be fun to get him on the practice field."
NFL.com’s Media Insider Ian Rapoport stated that the Rams expect Gurley to miss the first couple of games. When Jeff Fisher was asked if Gurley would be ready for week one against the Seattle Seahawks, Fisher answered with two simple words: “don’t know.” Fisher also confirmed at the beginning of the preseason that Gurley would see no snaps during any of the teams’ four preseason games.
Fisher also stated, "We're just gonna slowly increase his reps and see how he progresses. He may need a day off here and there, but it's good news. Dr. Andrews was really pleased with his progress, the way he's cutting. He'll be with a brace, he'll have to continue to wear the brace."
Todd Gurley went to get evaluated by highly touted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews back in early July. Andrews has done surgeries for various athletes including Emmitt Smith, Drew Brees, and Peyton Manning. He is also the number one “go-to-guy” when professional athletes seek second opinions on injuries, thus why Gurley went to him.
The news of Gurley being cleared is big for the Rams, as Gurley could have a huge impact on the offense that has been historically awful the last several years. There’s no set date or time for Gurley's return to the field. As aforementioned, the team will still take things slow with Todd Gurley, but when Gurley is fully healthy, look out.