Steelers Were Once Easily Rejected By Former Rams RB Todd Gurley Amidst Trade Talks: "F*ck No"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have never had the greatest of luck when it comes to getting free agents to Pittsburgh. The organization used to be far less aggressive in the offseason, including the trade market, but that has changed now that Omar Khan is the general manager. Overall, Head Coach Mike Tomlin is a leader that many players throughout the NFL wish to play for. However, the harsh Pittsburgh weather and old ways of the Steelers organization can hold those same players back.

Former NFL running back, Todd Gurley, took the league by storm when he was drafted by the then-St. Louis Rams in the 2015 NFL Draft. He found quick success, being named an All-Pro in his rookie season. After the 2019 season, just two years after becoming the highest paid running back in the NFL, the Rams released Gurley. He began struggling with some injuries, and the organization wanted to get out of his contract. Gurley was recently on The 25 10 Show, where he talked about his meetings with the organization up until his release.

"So, they end up cutting me. I knew they was either going to cut me, or they was going to try to trade me. But, if they was going to try to trade me, they said something about Buffalo and Pittsburgh and I'm like, 'Fuck no, cut me,' but yeah, I knew something was going to happen."

Gurley was released coming off of his worst season with the Rams. He still managed to record over 850 rushing yards, 207 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns. He had an extremely productive year, despite struggling with knee issues and only playing 15 games. His production made him extremely valuable, especially if he could have gotten his health situation figured out.

It's unclear why Gurley was so certain he didn't want to end up in Pittsburgh. He grew up in Baltimore and mentioned earlier in the podcast that he was a diehard Baltimore Ravens fan while he lived there. Maybe he carried that hatred for the Steelers with him into his professional career. 

Pittsburgh definitely wasn't an attractive destination after the 2019 season. They had just finished playing a year where Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges started the majority of the games due to an elbow injury Ben Roethlisberger sustained earlier in the year. It was unclear if Roethlisberger would be able to bounce back, and a team without a quarterback doesn't seem like a good fit for a superstar running back. 

The running back room for Pittsburgh at the time was quite open. James Conner was in town through the 2020 season, but he had a history of suffering from injuries and certainly would have been the second option to Gurley. Pittsburgh rushed for over 1,300 yards in 2020, a number that probably would have been a bit higher if Gurley would have been open to the idea of being traded to the Steelers.

Steelers' Running Back Room Would Still Look The Same Had They Traded For Gurley

Gurley wound up signing with the Atlanta Falcons after being released by the Rams. He had a subpar year in 2020, starting 15 games and rushing for 678 yards. His deal with Atlanta expired after the 2020 season and he chose not to play in 2021 before announcing his retirement in 2022. 

Had he come to Pittsburgh, the organization still would've had to draft Najee Harris in the 2021 NFL Draft. Gurley has arthritis in his knee, which caused his injuries to linger. He would have retired early no matter what. It is likely a good thing for the Steelers that Gurley made it clear he didn't want to come to Pittsburgh. The team would have had to give up draft capital and take on an expensive contract had the deal gone through.

What do you think about the Steelers almost trading for Gurley? Let us know in the comments below!

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