How Long Does St Louis Wait on Todd Gurley?

The St Louis Rams have a very important decision to make. One that can possibly have a huge impact on their season and could be the difference between another losing season, and possible playoff berth. That question is, how long should the Rams wait? How long do they hold Todd Gurley out?

ACL injuries are quite scary, mainly because they will knock a player out for an entire season and seem to happen more and more in football today. Although the number of ACL injuries seem to increase year by year, the medicine behind them has advanced far enough to make them way less career threatening. In the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, ACL injuries ruined careers. If your favorite player tore his ACL, it was likely the last you would see of him, or if you did, he wouldn’t be the same.

Today that is not the case, as we watched Adrian Peterson tear his ACL late in 2011, only to come back and win MVP for 2012. Jamaal Charles tore his ACL only to come back the next year and have a career year himself. Many other recent Running backs have been able to come back the next season after the tear and perform just as good, if not better, than before.

According to a study conducted by Sports medicine, the average player who tears their ACL drops one-third in performance. This number can be all over the board however, as the position also plays a huge role in how a player is affected by an ACL tear. This study also stated that 79% of players who suffered the tear did return to play football at the professional level.

These numbers are interesting to look at, but there are just so many variables that come into play that will shift these numbers. How bad was the tear? Was it a clean tear? How did the surgery go? Who did the Surgery? How tough is the player? I could honestly go on, but I am sure you get the point.

Where does Gurley fall in this equation? Gurley had a non-contact clean tear, which was performed by one of the best in the business when it comes to ACL surgery. So far his rehab has gone completely normal, as this was reported by trainers and was deeply investigated by St Louis before they drafted him. These factors are great news for Rams fans. Gurley’s toughness is what will ultimately save him though. He plays through pain a lot, and rarely shows signs of weakness. Even when he tore the ACL in game, he was walking on it and showed no signs of pain or fear. He loves to play and will do everything he can to get back on the field, which is why I think he will recover and succeed.

So How long should St Louis wait? If I had to give an honest answer, it would be that he could go back in game one. Peterson tore his ACL in December, and still made it back for week one. Gurley tore his ACL in November, so he will meet the nine month rehab for most ACL tears. I don’t think St Louis should start him day one, but week one could be a prime opportunity to give him five or six carries to let him warm up to the offense. That would allow a few more carries for week two, and so on and so forth.

So why don’t the Rams just wait and not rush him? Well although that would be the perfect scenario, it doesn’t help them win any games. If the Rams wait until week five to start Gurley, this means that he will take a few games for him to adjust, which means he will only be in his prime state for the last half of the season. While this doesn’t seem like a terrible thing, one must remember that because of the division the Rams play in, and the toughness of their schedule, they need Gurley for every game they can get him for.

Gurley will be closely monitored by St Louis to ensure that he is ready to go and doesn’t come back too early. Although he shouldn’t be rushed, The Rams do not need to waste any time making sure he is on the field as soon as he is ready to go.

Next: How Good is the Rams Receiving Core?

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