Todd Gurley Announces NFL Retirement; Former Rams, Falcons RB Named 2-Time All-Pro
October 21, 2022
Former Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons running back Todd Gurley announced on Friday that he is done playing football during an interview with NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano.
Andrew Siciliano @AndrewSicilianoIt’s not an official retirement announcement, but <a href="https://twitter.com/TG3II?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TG3II</a> told me today that he’s done playing football.<a href="https://twitter.com/nflnetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nflnetwork</a> <a href="https://t.co/oCzx5dlVeS">pic.twitter.com/oCzx5dlVeS</a>
On Tuesday, Gurley publicly thanked a long list of running backs who came before him.
Siciliano discussed the thread with Gurley, asking if he was "calling it quits."
"I don't think there's any question about that one," Gurley responded before saying that the thread's purpose was to show appreciation for their games and what they had done for him as a running back.
Siliciano followed up to confirm that Gurley was not coming back, and he replied, "most definitely."
The Georgia product only played six NFL seasons (2015-20), but he racked up a host of accolades during his pro tenure.
The three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2015 after amassing 1,294 total yards and 10 scores. Two years later, he broke out for the Rams and became one of the league's top stars thanks to an NFL-high 2,093 yards and 19 touchdowns. That effort earned him Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Gurley followed that up with 1,831 total yards and 21 touchdowns in 2018 for the eventual NFC champion Rams.
Unfortunately, Gurley was never the same after that year. It was revealed in 2019 that Gurley had an "arthritic component" to his right knee, as his trainer Travelle Gaines told CBS Sports' Dave Richard.
Gurley wasn't the same in 2019, with 3.8 yards per carry despite accumulating a respectable 1,064 scrimmage yards and 14 scores. After the season, the Rams cut him, and he later signed with Atlanta.
The 27-year-old had 842 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns during his lone season with the Falcons. His 3.5 yards per carry marked his lowest YPC average since 2016. Gurley never caught on with another team, capping a short-lived but tremendous NFL stint.
Gurley's career is marked with excellent success despite suffering a torn ACL during his 2014 season at Georgia. That didn't stop him from becoming a bona fide NFL star for a few years en route to serving as the engine to the Rams' offense.
Gurley retired with a total of 8,336 yards from scrimmage and 79 touchdowns.