St. Louis Rams first-round pick Todd Gurley has been cleared to practice, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Gurley, who was selected by St. Louis at No. 10 overall in this year's NFL Draft, underwent ACL surgery on his left knee in November and has been out ever since.
Rams running back Todd Gurley cleared to practice
The Rams’ first-round pick could return to the field for the first week of the regular season.
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
“Now we’re going to progress him slowly, but he’ll be able to participate in seven-on-seven and team drills,” Fisher told the media. “To this point, he’s just been participating in the one-on-ones. We’ll take it slow, but it’s going to [sic] be fun to get him on the practice field.”
Fisher said the Rams do not plan on having Gurley play in any of the team's two remaining preseason games. When asked whether Gurley would be ready and available for the Ram's season-opener against the Seahawks on Sept. 13, Fisher responded that he was unsure.
“We’re just going to slowly increase his reps and see how he progresses,” Fisher said. “He may need a day off here or day, but it’s good news. Dr. (James) Andrews was really pleased with his progress, so he’s cutting him loose ... (but) he’ll continue to wear the brace.”
Gurley, 21, spent three years at the University of Georgia, where he rushed for a total of 3,285 yards and 36 touchdowns. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry and his 44 total touchdowns was the second-most in school history.
But Gurley’s best season came as a freshman, when he ran for 1,385 yards and 17 touchdowns. He missed three games as sophomore due to an ankle injury and played in just six games total during his junior year. He was suspended for four in October, after it was learned that he had accepted money for an autograph, and then injured his knee during a Nov. game against Auburn.
The Rams, however, had no qualms making Gurley their first-round pick in April. "This is the running back of our future," Fisher said at the time. Now it seems that the future is about to arrive.
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