THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley joined the chorus on Tuesday, voicing his desire for a shorter preseason schedule.
“Oh yeah, most definitely,” Gurley said when asked if teams should player fewer than four preseason games. “We’ll get that changed, sooner or later.”
Gurley — laughing at the end of that comment — has actually seen more preseason action this summer than in any of his two prior NFL seasons, with 12 carries for 40 rushing yards over the course of the first two games. Ideally, though, the preseason schedule would consist of “maybe two [games], if none,” Gurley said.
Gurley sat on Saturday against the Los Angeles Chargers and will join the rest of the Rams’ starters in skipping the preseason finale against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday. Gurley said he feels “good,” despite missing half the preseason schedule, and that the key has been to get the most out of practice so that he doesn’t feel the need to get reps in games, which leave players more susceptible to freak injuries.
“It does play a role, just as far as tiring guys,” Gurley said of the four-game preseason schedule. “And guys get new coaches, so, shoot, some guys will be out there the whole game. So you never know. You hate to see a guy get hurt during the preseason, which is bound to happen. Somebody’s going to get hurt every year. That’s just playing this sport.”