[naviga:h3]Gurley passes Falcons’ physical[/naviga:h3]

ATLANTA — Running back Todd Gurley has passed his physical, clearing the final hurdle for his return to Georgia with the Atlanta Falcons.

The Falcons said Tuesday that Gurley passed his physical on Monday in Atlanta.

Gurley’s $6 million, one-year deal with Atlanta was made official on April 6. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NFL didn’t allow players to report to their new teams immediately for physicals.

Gurley’s physical was notable because he has a history of knee problems, including an injury while a standout for the Georgia Bulldogs. A persistent left knee injury limited his effectiveness late in 2018 with the Los Angeles Rams. He played in 15 games last season.

The Falcons expect the 25-year-old Gurley to replace Devonta Freeman, who was released, as the leader of the Falcons’ running attack.

Gurley topped 1,000 yards in three of his five seasons with the Rams. He ran for a career-low 857 yards last season. His average of 3.8 yards per carry was the second lowest of his career.

[naviga:h3]COVID restrictions irksome to Djokovic[/naviga:h3]

BELGRADE, Serbia — Top-ranked Novak Djokovic is thinking of skipping the U.S. Open — if it is played — and instead returning to competition on clay ahead of the rescheduled French Open.

Speaking to Serbia’s state broadcaster RTS on Tuesday, Djokovic said the restrictions that would be in place for the Grand Slam tournament in New York because of the coronavirus pandemic would be “extreme” and not “sustainable.”

“Most of the players I have talked to were quite negative on whether they would go there,” Djokovic said. “For me currently, as things stand, most probably the season will continue on clay at the beginning of September.”

Like many sports, tennis went on hiatus in March because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

That includes the French Open, which was supposed to end last weekend but was postponed until September.