Falcons OC: 'No one seems to know' if Gurley's healthy

Despite signing him to be their starting running back, the Atlanta Falcons apparently don't know if Todd Gurley's arthritic knee is healthy.

"He can do everything - he's an excellent runner, he's good in the pass game, he can protect," offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said Thursday, according to ESPN's Field Yates. "The main question is - and no one seems to know - what's his health status?"

Gurley inked a one-year, $5.5-million deal with the Falcons after being released by the Rams at the onset of free agency. He was entering the first season of a lucrative four-year extension when Los Angeles cut him.

The 25-year-old saw a decline in production in 2019, averaging 3.8 yards per carry and totaling 857 yards with 12 touchdowns on the ground. The former All-Pro has seemingly been on a downward trajectory since the tail end of the 2018 season, which he finished by splitting carries with C.J. Anderson.

"He had two seasons where he was arguably the best running back in football," Koetter said, according to Mike Conti of 92.9 The Game. "When he's at his best, he's got speed, he's got power ... we all see what he can do. We just gotta see how healthy he is, and how consistently he can do it."

The Falcons brought in Gurley to replace Devonta Freeman, who also had a down year in 2019 and struggled with injuries over the last two seasons.