NFL Rumors: Melvin Gordon May Need To Return Soon To Avoid Losing More Money

Melvin Gordon may have had designs to hold out until midway through the NFL season, but those plans could need to change.

The Los Angeles Chargers running back has decided to hold out in the hopes of scoring a new contract, with reports saying he wants to be paid among the top running backs in the league at between $13 million and $15 million each year. The Chargers had offered him $10 million annually, an offer that Gordon’s camp rejected, and the team then announced that it was cutting off negotiations until after the season is done.

Gordon is still holding out, but Fox Sports Radio host Colin Cowherd thinks that he may need to change his plans, and do so quickly. Cowherd noted that the Chargers had very strong performances out of the backfield tandem of Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson in Week 1. Ekeler had 154 total yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner.

“Melvin Gordon, I love you. You’re a good guy. But this is not a good holdout, fire your agent. This is not a good holdout. The Chargers have Ekeler and Justin Jackson and Ekeler is a dog, man. He can play. Yesterday he was unbelievable,” Cowherd said.

Gordon would need to report to the team by November in order get credit for the final year of his contract and allow him to become a free agent in 2020, but the team may be done with him by then. The Fansided blog NFL Spin Zone noted that the team’s ability to replace Gordon with Ekeler and Jackson showed that the team doesn’t need Gordon to win, noting that the Chargers are now likely to move on.

“While Ekeler and Jackson have always been a part of the offense with Gordon active, now they have a chance to truly shine,” the report said. “This is exactly why it’s time to move on.”

Melvin Gordon’s never getting that contract pic.twitter.com/v9hfuMkfP5

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 8, 2019

The Chargers reportedly gave Gordon’s camp permission to seek a trade, but the team was asking for a first- and fifth-round pick in return — a price that other teams were reportedly not willing to even entertain. If the team plans to trade Gordon away, the asking price may need to come down first.

As The Inquisitr had previously reported, Melvin Gordon had given his own indications that he was done with the Los Angeles Chargers. The running back took several shots at the team on social media and sparked trade speculation by liking the Philadelphia Eagles on Instagram amid reports that the Eagles were exploring a potential trade.