Getty Todd Gurley on November 25, 2019.
The last time Todd Gurley took a handoff in an NFL game was on January 3, 2021, which was with the Atlanta Falcons.
The former Los Angeles Rams star hadn’t heard from any potential NFL suitors that needed a running back since then. Now, speaking with Andrew Siciliano of the NFL Network on Thursday, October 20, the three-time Pro Bowl selection with the Rams revealed his NFL future when asked if he was done playing.
“Oh yeah, most definitely,” the 28-year-old Gurley confirmed with Siciliano.
It’s not an official retirement announcement, but @TG3II told me today that he’s done playing football.
Gurley’s Impact
Gurley immediately rose to stardom the moment he put on the Rams horns.
Taken No. 10 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, the franchise was seeking the next major backfield star post Steven Jackson. Gurley provided an immediate impact for a run-heavy approach under Jeff Fisher.
Despite being inactive for the first two games of the 2015 season, then being held to nine yards on six carries in his first NFL action in Week 3, Gurley rolled his way to 19 carries for 146 yards in the 24-22 win at Arizona on October 4, 2015. That performance would set off a string of three consecutive 100-yard outings from there.
Gurley would go on and finish with 1,106 yards and scored 10 rushing touchdowns in his NFL debut. He then skyrocketed under Sean McVay in the head coach’s first two seasons in the league.
In 2017, Gurley rumbled to career-highs in carries with 279, yards with 1,305 and scored 13 touchdowns in their NFC West championship season. Gurley then delivered 256 carries for 1,251 yards and a career-high 17 touchdowns during the Rams’ march to Super Bowl 53 the following season.
And that would be the last time Gurley crossed the four-digit mark in yardage.
During his final season with the Rams, Gurley managed to cross the end zone 12 times. He also added two touchdowns on the receiving end (caught 31 passes for 207 yards that season) But his rushing yards dipped to 857.
But in the end, Gurley tallied 5,404 of his ground-based yards in a Rams uniform while scoring 70 total touchdowns in St. Louis and Los Angeles according to Pro Football Reference.
His only 200-yard outing of his career came as a Ram: The 208 who racked up at Denver on October 14, 2018. He additionally delivered his most three-touchdown games while with the Rams (three total for his career).
Lastly, he delivered two 100-yard contests in the postseason: 101 versus the Falcons on January 6, 2018 and 115 versus the Dallas Cowboys on January 12, 2019.
Gurley Helps Honor Past RB Legends
Another reason behind Gurley’s appearance on the NFL Network: Explaining the gratitude he has for the players who suited up in the backfield before him — which he sent out via a series of tweets on Tuesday, October 18.
Gurley thanked names like NFL legends Barry Sanders then thanked Reggie Bush, Curtis Martin, Jonathan Stewart, Willis McGahee, Marshawn Lynch, LeVeon Bell, Knowshon Moreno (who played at Gurley’s college alma mater Georgia), Tiki Barber and the late Cedric Benson.
“The list goes on and on but I definitely wanted to let everyone know how much I appreciate them and what they meant to me as a RB. Much love and respect to everyone and wanted to give y’all fellas your flowers because without y’all there is no TG,” Gurley posted on his personal Twitter account.
The list goes on and on but I definitely wanted to let everyone know how much I appreciate them and what they meant to me as a RB. Much love and respect to everyone and wanted to give y’all fellas your flowers because without y’all there is no TG🙏🏾
Turns out once he addressed those tweets to Siciliano, it eventually led to his decision that he was done carrying the football.