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Per NFL.com’s Insider Ian Rapoport, St. Louis Rams’ first round selection Todd Gurley won’t playing for at least the first three games of the 2015 NFL season.
As for #Rams RB Todd Gurley, don’t expect him the first 3 weeks. Team wants to make sure he’s back fully from his ACL injury. Often 10 mos.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 9, 2015
The timetable for Gurley’s return was always speculative, but this news adds a bit more clarity for his return. If that’s what’s best for Gurley - who’s coming back from an ACL injury - then I’m sure most fans will understand. Rams’ faithful have witnessed, far too often, what can happen when a player is rushed back from injury.
If it’s just three games, then Gurley would come back for a Week 4 road test against the Arizona Cardinals. Until then, expect a healthy dose of Tre Mason [maybe] and Benny Cunningham at the onset of the season. Tre Mason is battling a hamstring injury. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report recently reported that the Rams are optimistic he’ll be ready for the home opener, and are classifying the injury as a "hamstring tweak."
As for Gurley, it’ll be a wait-and-see situation. While the team would like to have him back, it’s clear they understand how important he is to their success, and aren’t willing to rush the recovery process. Wise move, Rams. Wise move.