Former Rams’ running back Todd Gurley isn’t mincing words about his feelings towards HC Sean McVay. During a recent appearance on The 25 10 Show, Gurley hinted at frustration over his reduced role in his final years with the Rams. When asked if he ever felt slighted by McVay’s play calling, Gurley’s response was a blunt, “It wasn’t like ‘f*** him,’ I was still trying to be a team player, but at the end of the day I was like—are you going to pay me to sit down? So be it, then!”

This frustration isn’t unique to Gurley. Free agent Melvin Gordon, drafted just five spots after Gurley in 2015, recently pointed fingers at HC McVay and the Rams team for the devaluation of running backs league-wide.“I think in my opinion, after Todd got paid and then Sean McVay came out and said he would never pay a running back again; I will just use them and rotate them out. It was like everybody followed suit,” Gordon said on The Jim Rome Show. “I kind of think that’s where everything just started going downhill.”

Even Gurley’s story is a cautionary tale. A superstar early in his career (Offensive Player of the Year, MVP runner-up), he was rewarded with a then-record $57.5 million contract by the Rams. However, his injuries (knee arthritis) impacted his on-field performance. Gurley’s yards per touch dropped from 5.8 to 4.2 in a year. 

The bigger issue, however, is other talented RBs struggling to find big contracts. Per USA Today, the running-back franchise tag value moved from $8.65 million in 2021 to an estimated $11.3 million. Despite a rising running-back market value, why was Todd Gurley released?

Rams cut ties with Todd Gurley before $10.5 million contract bonus hits

The Rams released their star RB, Todd Gurley, in 2020. This happened after a decline in his 2019-season performance, days before a $10.5 million roster bonus. Just two years prior, the now-29-year-old landed 19 TDs, making him an MVP candidate. 

After Gurley’s performance dropped, the franchise reduced his workload throughout the 2019 season. He received a career-low 223 carries with a mere 14.9 carries per game, and only 857 rushing yards, surpassing 20 rushing attempts in three games. The former Georgia standout had five games in his previous four seasons. Team Rams opted for a shared-load approach in the playoffs, limiting Gurley to ten carries in Super Bowl LIII.

Had Gurley effectively landed in a run-friendly offense (15–18 TDs per game), he could still be a valuable contributor today. However, his recent comments on ‘reduced role’ raise questions about the “workhorse” running-back future in the league.