The Los Angeles Rams reached agreement on a new contract with their top offensive player, shifting the focus to the status of the team’s best defensive player.
The Los Angeles Rams reached agreement on a new contract with their top offensive player, shifting the focus to the status of the team’s best defensive player.
Running back Todd Gurley agreed to a four-year contract extension worth a reported $60 million on Tuesday. The average annual salary and $45 million in guaranteed money represent the most for any running back in NFL history.
Next up on the contract docket for Los Angeles is Aaron Donald, the 2017 NFL Defensive Player of the Year who has been seeking a new contract since last year.
« Each situation is different, » Rams general manager Les Snead told reporters after Gurley’s signing. « Different players, different agents. You work on everything simultaneously, but you really don’t know when you’re going to get something done or not. »
Gurley’s contract extension is the second the Rams have reached with a key offensive player in the last two weeks. Los Angeles signed wide receiver Brandin Cooks to a five-year extension, also tying him to the club through 2023.
Donald, the league’s top defensive tackle, is slated to make $6.89 million in the fifth-year option of his rookie contract. He skipped both the voluntary workouts and mandatory minicamp.
Snead acknowledged he did not know if Donald would opt to skip training camp for a second straight year, but expressed optimism that the sides will find common ground.
« We’re simultaneously working to make Aaron a Ram for a long time. That’s the goal, » said Snead. « I know we’ll get questions about him, but Aaron’s a big part of who we are, where we want to go. But I think the details and all that, we’re going to continue the course of keeping them in-house, but we’re going to continue working to get something done with Aaron. »
Donald was the first Rams player to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors after he amassed 52 tackles, a team-high 11 sacks, a club-best five forced fumbles, 27 quarterback hits, one fumble recovery and two passes defensed in 14 games last season.
The former University of Pittsburgh standout also was named first-team All-Pro for the third straight year and to the Pro Bowl for the fourth year in a row. Donald has totaled 148 solo tackles and 39 sacks since entering the league in 2014.
