Under head coach Sean McVay, the Los Angeles Rams are leaning more and more on their run game.

During the 2023 season, McVay and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur designed a new run scheme that featured gap-scheme runs and more up-the-middle play calls than ever before, which allowed Kyren Williams to flourish as he went on to have a career year and make an All-Pro team.

The new system was a far cry from the old play-action system that McVay famously used when he had Jared Goff and Todd Gurley as his offensive leaders. Gurley was one of the best players in the league under McVay until an untimely knee injury sapped his athleticism on the field.

Gurley eventually spoke out about his release from the team that drafted him after Los Angeles cut him despite them signing him to an extension, saying, “Everyone didn’t think they were going to cut me.

Ain’t no way.” The dead cap, or whatever it is, “They’re going to owe you so much.” However, I believe that if they had kept me, they would have had to owe me another $5 (million) the following year, so they ended up cutting me. I knew they were either going to cut me or try to trade me, but if they were going to try to trade me, they said something about, like, Buffalo, Pittsburgh,” And I’m like, ‘(expletive) no. Cut me.’ I knew something was going to happen, though.”

Gurley also admitted to considering retirement before the Atlanta Falcons came calling but playing in Georgia for one season appealed to him:

I was like, ‘Damn, I could go ahead and just retire since they said I can’t play and go ahead and get the whole $17.5 (million). And I’m like, but I had to go see what Atlanta was talking about. I had to go to Georgia.”

It was a bitter end between Los Angeles and Gurley as the two sides experienced some great moments together, including a Super Bowl run. Had Gurley not hurt his knee, he likely would’ve lived up to his contract but unfortunately things didn’t play out that way.

Melvin Gordon holds Todd Gurley and Rams head coach Sean McVay responsible for the downturn in the running back market.

Todd Gurley’s massive extension may have been a cautionary tale for teams as the running back market has been tough for players. Melvin Gordon went so far as to blame McVay and Gurley for why running backs are finding guaranteed money hard to come by.