Todd Gurley won't play in Sunday's Week 1 opener, but the St. Louis Rams' running back is making strides.
The first-round pick told the team's official website that he's shed the non-contact beanie he'd been wearing in practice.
"I can do everything," Gurley said Sunday when asked about his practice limitations. "The beanie's off, so I'm good."
Coach Jeff Fisher already ruled the running back out for this week's season kickoff versus the Seattle Seahawks. Gurley, returning from an ACL tear, said he understands why the team is being cautious, even if he's starving to play.
"I definitely would want to be playing, but I know it's going to be a long journey," Gurley said. "You have to be patient and when the time comes it comes. I'll be ready for it."
"I've been waiting this long, so why not wait a couple more weeks or so?" he added.
By season's end, the Rams hope they can fully ride the man many draft analysts pegged as the best back to enter the NFL since Adrian Peterson. Patient fantasy football owners pray that's true, so they can also saddle him down the stretch of the make-believe playoff season.