Melvin Gordon might be returning the Los Angeles Chargers this season after all. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the star running back is of the belief that the Chargers will not honor his trade request, and thus is resigned to reporting to the team in 2019 – even though he plans to continue holding out indefinitely.
“This is not a Le'Veon Bell situation,” a source told ESPN. “He still wants to be a Charger. But he's got to protect himself.”
Los Angeles permitted Gordon to seek a trade in early September, a development that many believed would accelerate the timeline of his departure. This new intel indicates the Chargers' asking price in any potential trade remains too steep for interested teams, leaving Gordon with little choice but to report as management has also been unwilling to come close to meeting his contractual demands.
Gordon began skipping team activities in late July, hopeful that his absence would spur the Chargers to re-negotiate his contract ahead of the regular season. Shortly after his holdout began, the four-year pro requested a trade from Los Angeles, leading general manager Tom Telesco to insist that he remained an integral piece of the organization’s present and future. Telesco event went so far as to say that Los Angeles still considered Gordon its top running back, lip service that matters even less now after Austin Ekeler exploded for 153 total yards and two scores on 18 touches during an overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1.
Gordon, a two-time Pro Bowler, rushed for 885 yards on a career-best 5.1 yards per carry last season, appearing in 12 games.
Follow Us
Subscribe