Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon will not play in the team’s Week 14 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals due to a sprained MCL.
However, his injury apparently wasn't as serious as originally thought, which means there is a chance he could be back in time for their big Thursday night showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
From @gmfb Weekend: #Chargers RB Melvin Gordon (MCL) is out today but there is a chance he plays on Thursday. His injury wasn’t as serious as they originally thought. pic.twitter.com/dxBJPm7hMS
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 9, 2018
Gordon missed last week’s stunning comeback win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rookie Justin Jackson picked up the slack in Gordon’s absence with 63 yards on 8 carries. Austin Ekeler added 21 yards on 13 carries.
Gordon is having another strong season for the Chargers. He has 802 yards and nine touchdowns in 10 games. He has also added 44 catches for 453 yards and four receiving touchdowns.
If the Chargers beat the Bengals on Sunday as expected, they would have a chance to catch the Chiefs atop the AFC West, which makes Thursday’s matchup so important. Obviously, having their top running back available for that game would do their chances of winning a lot of good.
But if Gordon does somehow play against the Chiefs on Thursday, it remains to be seen if he will have enough time to get up to full speed and play at close to full capacity given the relatively short turnaround.
Even if Gordon only plays for limited snaps, though, the Chargers would likely rather have some Gordon than none at all considering the magnitude of this game. But as the Steelers game proved, Philip Rivers is capable of lifting the Chargers to victory even without Gordon.
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