The Los Angeles Rams have given their star running back, Todd Gurley, a contract that could change the course of the game.
On Tuesday, the NFL's most valuable offensive player signed a four-year, $60 million extension with the Rams until 2023.
Gurley's contract extension includes the largest average annual value for a running back in the NFL at $20 million, the largest signing bonus in NFL history at $45 million, and the largest guaranteed amount at $45 million,
according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke on the condition of anonymity to The Associated Press. ESPN was the first to announce the deal.
The Rams intended to "get ahead of the curve," according to general manager Les Snead, so they signed Gurley two years before his rookie deal was up. They paid an unprecedented amount for a running back in order to sign a key member of a team with championship aspirations.
"He's a big part of who we are and where we're going," Snead said of the team's leader. To paraphrase, "it's not only Todd, but a lot of guys we want to make Rams for a long time and be part of our core."
Gurley won't report to UC Irvine training camp until Wednesday. His first public reaction was a black-and-white Instagram snapshot of himself with a big smile and the phrase "Amazing..."
In first-year coach Sean McVay's dynamic scheme, Gurley excelled in his third NFL season. He finished second in the NFL with 1,305 yards rushing, 13 touchdowns, and 64 receptions for 788 yards and six additional touchdowns.