Todd Gurley Won't Play for Falcons vs. Raiders with Knee Injury

The Atlanta Falcons announced Friday that running back Todd Gurley will not play Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders because of a knee injury, according to ESPN's Field Yates.

Gurley joined the Falcons on a one-year deal after he was released by the Los Angeles Rams in March. The move wasn't totally surprising after he averaged 3.8 yards per attempt on a career-low 223 carries in 2019, but it came just two years after he signed a four-year extension with the Rams.

Things haven't improved much for Gurley through 10 games in Atlanta. He's averaging 3.7 yards per attempt but has scored nine touchdowns on 167 attempts.

Overall, Gurley has 610 rushing yards this season, and he has also caught 16 passes for 82 yards, which is a far cry from what he used to accomplish as one of the top pass-catching backs in the NFL.

Gurley played just 23 offensive snaps before getting injured in last week's loss to the New Orleans Saints, rushing eight times for 26 yards.

The Falcons' bet on Gurley to upgrade their rushing attack hasn't paid off. Brian Hill has been better on a per-carry basis with 4.4 yards per attempt.

Gurley hasn't played a full 16-game regular-season schedule since 2016. Given his ongoing knee problems, Atlanta is taking a cautious approach in holding him out of Sunday's game.

With Gurley out against the Raiders, Hill is likely to start in his place and could be an under-the-radar asset in fantasy football in Week 12.

Ito Smith also figures to get additional touches out of the backfield as Hill's primary backup.