Falcons: One important to thing to remember about Todd Gurley’s contract

The Falcons took a risk this offseason, spending a chunk of what little money they had on Todd Gurley, who was released from the Rams because of lingering knee issues. We know that this injury is never going to get better, and it is all about how much pain Gurley can tolerate. In some games, the Falcons will be able to use him as an every-down back, and in others, he will play sparingly. However, you’d like to think the Falcons have an idea of what they are getting into before investing $6 million into him. And from Dirk Koetter’s comments earlier today, they don’t. 

If you missed it, Koetter spoke with the Falcons media this morning and said, “The main question that no one seems to know is what is his health status?”

I don’t care if the Falcons really are this oblivious to the condition of Gurley’s knee; this isn’t something that needs to be said publicly, and it makes management look terrible. Apparently, Dirk Koetter’s public speaking skills go hand-in-hand with his play-calling ability. However, there is one thing that should be mentioned when talking about Gurley’s contract. 

Because of the coronavirus, Gurley has yet to conduct a physical. When Thomas Dimitroff spoke with the media in early April, he acknowledged that there are clauses in his contract that protect the team in case the condition is much worse than the Falcons imagined. So it’s not all that surprising that the organization is in the dark regarding Gurley’s health. Although Dimitroff also said it is not something he is worried about. Still, the comments from Koetter were elementary mistakes and should never be made by a guy that’s been around the league and was recently a head coach.