Todd Gurley says 2020 season with Atlanta Falcons was ‘sorry’

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – This offseason, the Atlanta Falcons reopened the door to their 2020 team by hiring head coach Raheem Morris – but running back Todd Gurley will not be joining the reunion.

Gurley, who starred in college at the University of Georgia from 2012-14 before becoming a top-10 pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 2015, has had a solid professional career that includes three All-Pro nominations and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award in 2017.

After being released by the Rams following the 2019 season, Gurley signed a one-year deal with the Falcons for what ultimately turned out to be his final professional campaign.

Gurley led Atlanta on the ground in 2020, hauling in 195 carries for 678 yards and nine touchdowns while adding 25 catches for 164 yards through the air.

But the Falcons struggled, as an 0-5 start led to the firing of head coach Dan Quinn and the promotion of then-defensive coordinator Morris to interim head coach. The league also implemented strict guidelines due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, which altered the atmosphere of the season.

Atlanta finished the season 4-7 under Morris and 4-12 overall – and Gurley, in a recent appearance on the 25/10 show hosted by former NFL players LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson, made no secret of his feelings about the year.

“I kind of had to see what they were talking about in real life, because I played at Georgia,” Gurley said. “So that one happened. And I was like, sorry season.”

Gurley’s 2020 season marked a career-low in touches (220) and scrimmage yards (842) as he faced questions about the long-term health of his knee, which had an “arthritic component” due to a torn ACL in college.

After completing his sixth professional campaign, Gurley reflected on his life. He felt his resume was adequate and, more importantly, he felt fulfilled internally.

“It was like, ‘Alright bro, I’m living in LA, I’m relaxing. I (did) everything,'” Gurley said. “Of course, I would love to have a ring and stuff like that. But I went to the Super Bowl, I lost. I wasn’t really tripping. I don’t know, I have the feeling like I’ve done a lot of things that I I never thought I would have done.

“And just having fun, playing football, living out a lot of people’s dreams – that kind of atmosphere.”

Gurley said he received an offer to play for the Baltimore Ravens, his favorite childhood era, during the 2021 season, but took a broader perspective and decided he was happy to reside in Los Angeles.

Gurley, now 29, hasn’t played a game since the end of the 2020 campaign. He hasn’t officially retired, but he hasn’t expressed any interest in returning.

And even though the good offer ends with a “sorry,” he feels at peace with his playing career and his current place in life.

“At the end of the day, it didn’t really matter if I scored 10 more touchdowns or if I scored zero,” Gurley said. “This wasn’t going to satisfy me anymore, for real.”