Just a few short years ago, Todd Gurley was one of the top superstars in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams. He was widely considered the best running back in football and was nearly unstoppable for defenses. His ability as a dual-threat running back made him a matchup nightmare.
Unfortunately, a knee injury has completely derailed his career to the point where he is finding it difficult to find a new job this offseason in free agency. Gurley put together a decent season with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020, but he has yet to find a new contract.
During the 2020 season with the Falcons, Todd Gurley ended up carrying the football 195 times for 678 yards and nine touchdowns. He also caught 25 passes for 164 yards on the year, but did not score a touchdown through the air. Those numbers show that Gurley can still play a role for a team if they choose to give him a chance.
At 26 years of age, it is sad to see how far Gurley has fallen in such a short period of time. From superstar to free agent that no one views as a priority. Gurley is still on the market and it seems likely that some team will give him a one-year deal at some point before the start of the season, but that is far from a guarantee.
All of that being said, let's take a look at three teams who should make a late offseason decision to sign Todd Gurley.
3. New England Patriots
This is the kind of move that Bill Belichick has made time and time again throughout his tenure making decisions for the Patriots. He has always been willing to take a risk on veteran players who might have some good football left in the tank. That is the case once again with Gurley and it would make a ton of sense for Gurley to end up with New England.
New England decided to re-sign Cam Newton to be their starting quarterback, but they could use more weapons around him. Todd Gurley may not be the superstar that he once was, but he might have enough left to make a good impact for the Patriots. It certainly seems like a worthwhile attempt for both parties.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
After seeing James Conner leave town in free agency to sign with the Arizona Cardinals, the Steelers could use some help at the running back position. Currently, they have Benny Snell Jr. listed at the top of their running back depth chart. Snell is a good player, but that is not an ideal situation for the Steelers moving forward.
Granted, Gurley may not be the workhorse answer for Pittsburgh. But, he would be worth a shot on a one-year deal. The worst that could happen would be the move not panning out and the Steelers let him walk in free agency next offseason.
1. San Francisco 49ers
Finally, there is one team that would make the most sense for Todd Gurley this late in the offseason. San Francisco has Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. on top of their depth chart and they just signed Wayne Gallman as well. However, if Gurley even has a year of good football left in him, this would be a worthwhile move for the 49ers.
Gurley heading back out west to be the starter for the 49ers would be a perfect situation for him. He would have another chance to prove that he can still play at a solid level. The 49ers would not need him to be a 1,000-yard back, but he could give them the solid threat on the ground that could help open up the passing game for them.
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