Atlanta Falcons running back Todd Gurley sat down with NBC Sports Bay Area this week. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next month and doesn't dismiss the possibility of returning to the Falcons in 2021. He plans to talk to the team in the coming weeks to gauge its interest and future plans.
Matt Maiocco asked Gurley if he has ever thought about how he might fit into Kyle Shanahan's offense with the San Francisco 49ers.
"Kyle, he knows how to dial it up," Gurley responded. "He knows how to dial it up, for sure. ... Even with dealing with all the injuries this year with the 49ers, they were still able to put points up with the backup quarterbacks and whoever was in there at receiver or running back.
"I've definitely thought about that. Shanahan's a great coach."
Gurley led the Falcons in rushing this past season with 678 yards and nine touchdowns through 15 games while sharing the backfield carries with Brian Hill and Ito Smith. His last season surpassing 1,000 rushing yards came in 2018 with the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams selected Gurley out of Georgia with the No. 10 overall pick in 2015. He registered 1,000-plus-yard rushing campaigns in three of his first four seasons. Gurley has 6,082 total rushing yards and 67 touchdowns over his six NFL seasons.
The Falcons running back also discussed Bay Area icon Frank Gore, who has influenced him in at least one aspect of how he approaches his game.
"The one thing I kind of took from Frank — I know as soon as the season's over with, he's like literally back in the gym," Gurley explained. "So I kind of took that approach this year, just kind of taking a little bit of time off, but just trying to get back into it.
"I mean, you've got to respect somebody like Frank Gore. He's one of the OGs that's still in the league for us to still be able to look up to, still be able to reach out to. When you've got guys like him and Adrian Peterson, you just look from afar. You just see how they go about their business. You see how they carry themselves. They might not play every down, but when their time is called, they're ready."