Rams claiming Todd Gurley won’t be restricted Week 1 adds unnecessary pressure

The pressure is on for the Los Angeles Rams and Todd Gurley to prove there are no complications surrounding the running back’s knee for Week 1.

After months filled with questions and speculation, Los Angeles Rams fans will finally get to see how Todd Gurley looks in action during Sunday’s Week 1 contest against the Carolina Panthers.

Unfortunately, Gurley’s lack of impact in the NFC Championship along with the Super Bowl made it clear that something was going on with the Rams star running back, no matter what the team would say.

Once it was finally discovered that arthritis was the issue, it wasn’t a surprise at all to hear Los Angeles discuss how they would be taking a different approach with Gurley moving forward because after last winter, they couldn’t afford to overwork him on offense.

Even if the Rams feel confident enough in other running backs such as Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson taking on larger roles than originally expected in 2019, Gurley’s health is still going to be one of the most important factors surrounding this offense.

As for what to expect in Week 1, well let’s just say this has been difficult to determine over the last few months since Gurley was not only missing in action from preseason as expected, but also participating in his own set schedule.

But as exciting as it was to hear Sean McVay recently discuss the team’s plans to unleash Gurley on Sunday against the Panthers with no restrictions, it also brings a ton of unnecessary pressure to the table for the Rams.

Los Angeles has already been under the microscope since the Super Bowl for the way they’ve handled the Gurley situation, and while McVay may feel confident in unleashing Gurley, what if there are any sort of setbacks?

No matter how talented of a running back Gurley has been over the years with the Rams, it’s never easy for a running back in this kind of situation to just be thrown right into the mix, and play at a high level.

Obviously, if Gurley shows up on Sunday, and looks like the explosive running back football fans love to see, then the Rams will be in great shape to start the year off with a win on the road over the Panthers.

If not, it’s only going to continue adding more pressure heading into Week 2, so maybe McVay and the Rams should have just kept the strategy surrounding Gurley for Sunday to themselves.