Former Offensive Player of the Year could be heading to the NFC North

The Minnesota Vikings might have to face a Detroit Lions offensive backfield that features free-agent running back Todd Gurley next season.

Back in 2018, the Minnesota Vikings headed to the west coast for a Thursday-night matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Unfortunately, the Vikings fell to the Rams by a final score of 38-31, and the outcome of the game was largely due to the performance of Los Angeles running back Todd Gurley.

Against Minnesota, Gurley wound up finishing with a total of 156 yards (7.4 yards per touch) and one touchdown. That was just one of the multiple impressive games Gurley had during the first few seasons of his NFL career that included him winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2015 and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2017.

After spending last year with the Atlanta Falcons, Gurley is currently a free agent. He might not be without a job for much longer, however, since he recently met with the Detroit Lions.

Todd Gurley meets with Minnesota Vikings divisional rival

This offseason, the Lions decided to hire former Rams director of college scouting, Brad Holmes, to be their new general manager. One of the first major moves Holmes made during his new gig with Detroit was a trade with his old team in Los Angeles that resulted in the Rams sending the Lions quarterback Jared Goff.

Los Angeles was able to achieve a bunch of success when Goff was under center and Gurley was in the backfield. Well, the two former Rams teammates might be reuniting in Detroit soon.

Last week, Gurley reportedly made the trip to the Motor City to meet about a possible deal with the Lions according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The 26-year-old running back is hasn’t rushed for over 1,000 yards since 2018, but he could provide some good depth for Detroit next season.

With the Lions already having D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams in the backfield, Gurley likely wouldn’t be brought in to be the team’s starting running back for 2021. But his familiarity with Goff could help with the quarterback’s transition to Detroit.

This possible addition to the Lions roster is something the Vikings will certainly be paying close attention to. Gurley has had a good amount of success in four career games against Minnesota, averaging 4.3 yards per touch, and scoring three touchdowns.