NFL Rumors: Melvin Gordon’s Holdout Not Ending Anytime Soon As Deadlock With Chargers Continues
Melvin Gordon’s holdout will not come to an end anytime soon, a new report indicates.
The Los Angeles Chargers running back has been away from his team through the first three weeks of the season after contract talks broke down before the season started, and CBS Sports now reports that Gordon will miss the team’s Week 4 game as well. Gordon has been seeking a new deal that will pay him on par with the league’s top running backs, somewhere between $13 million and $15 million annually. The Chargers offered Gordon a $10 million deal, one that he rejected, and days before the start of the season announced that contract talks would be off until after the season ends.
Gordon must report back to the Chargers later this season in order to get credit for the final year of his contract and allow him to become a free agent, but the CBS Sports report indicated that there is no clarity on exactly when he’ll be back. The report added that the Chargers could use him sooner rather than later.
“Ultimately, he and the team will likely work out a financial settlement based on all the time he’s missed thus far, and, with injuries already mounting for the franchise, getting Gordon back would certainly help,” the report noted.
Though the Chargers have been able to pull some strong performances from fellow running backs Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson, Gordon’s presence is missed and the Chargers have struggled at times on offense as they stumbled to a 1-2 start.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, there have been rumors that the Chargers could be exploring a trade for Gordon and may be able to use his value to another team as a bargaining chip to fill some much-needed holes. Los Angeles Times columnist Dylan Hernandez noted that the injury-depleted Chargers may find more value from Gordon by trading him for some immediate help, especially in the secondary.
“Left tackle Russell Okung remains sidelined after suffering a pulmonary embolism caused by blood clots,” Hernandez noted. “Safeties Derwin James and Adrian Phillips are on injured reserve. Tight end Hunter Henry is out with a fractured knee. Cornerback Michael Davis has a hamstring injury and is listed as doubtful.”
Melvin Gordon says he’s “going to play somewhere” this year because it’d be a “waste of talent” if he didn’t.
(via @eric_d_williams) pic.twitter.com/1xSgqYICo0
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) September 19, 2019
Melvin Gordon himself has pushed some of these trade rumors along, saying earlier this week that he was “going to play somewhere” this season, hinting that it might not be for the Chargers.
