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Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon is currently gearing up to freely test the open market as a free agent for the first time as a NFL player this offseason. After holding out for a new contract from the Chargers just last year — to no avail, of course — Gordon will now more than likely become one of the top free agents on the market this time around.
Although the days of top-notch running backs garnering sizable price tags on a regular basis are officially over, Gordon could be one of the few rushers that ultimately lands a lucrative multi-year deal this offseason. With such a notion potentially on the horizon, there are more than a few franchises that could use Gordon's services in the backfield in 2020-21 and beyond.
Not only that, but there is one team in particular that could use Gordon to elevate themselves even further. Unfortunately for the aforementioned Chargers, such a team resides within the AFC West division and just won the Super Bowl. That's right, the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs should pursue Gordon this offseason.
With the Chiefs often turning to the tandem of Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy at the running back position this past season, the duo was able to get the job done, but Kansas City surely wasn't one of the top rushing teams in the league during the regular season.
Despite winning the Super Bowl by season's end in 2020-21, the Chiefs ranks 23rd in the NFL in total rushing yards per game. At a 98.1 yards per game clip, the Chiefs were one of only 11 teams that averaged under 100 rushing yards per game last season.
The Chiefs scored a total 16 rushing touchdowns this past season, a slate that includes two scores from quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Coming in toward the top half of the league in this category thanks to the team's 16 scores, the two touchdowns from Mahomes being removed would pit Kansas City in the middle of the pack in such a category.
Capping things off, the Chiefs ranked 27th in the league with total of 451 rushing attempts in 2019-20, 23rd in rushing yards as a team at 1,569 and 20th at 4.2 yards per attempt.
It is also worth noting that the Chiefs will see McCoy become a free agent this offseason with Williams only having one year remaining on his current contract. For that reason, it is already time to look toward both the present and the future, a problem that can easily be solved by bringing Gordon on board.
The soon-to-be 27-year-old Gordon, on the other hand, has impressed at times throughout his five-year NFL career. Although last year's holdout and various injury concerns will certainly pop up as the longtime Chargers rusher attempts to find his next NFL home, the Chiefs are one of the few teams that can afford to take this chance as Kansas City has other weapons to supplement the running back position.
Gordon's best single-season effort as a member of the Chargers came back in 2017-18, which currently serves as the former first-round talent's lone 1,000-yard rushing season as an NFL running back. Also his only 16-game regular-season performance, Gordon notably rushed for 1,105 yards and 10 touchdowns on only 284 rushing attempts in 2017-18. He has scored 10 touchdowns on two separate occasions while producing 36 career rushing touchdowns across a total of 67 regular-season games.
Over the course of 12 regular-season games last season, most of which were played directly alongside fellow Chargers running back Austin Ekeler, Gordon registered 162 attempts, 612 rushing yards, and eight touchdowns via the ground game. Of course, Gordon missed the first quarter of the season upon holding out for a new deal, a decision that surely cost him one of his best statistical seasons to date.
Nonetheless, Gordon will still make his way to the free-agent market sporting a career average of an even four yards per carry and has managed to score at least eight rushing touchdowns in four of his five NFL seasons — outside of his infamous scoreless rookie campaign, of course.
Adding one last wrinkle to the equation for both Gordon and Kansas City, the soon-to-be free agent running back can become an asset in the passing attack as well, which is obviously something that will aid the pass-happy Chiefs.
For his NFL career, which has spanned 67 regular-season games, Gordon has produced 224 receptions for 1,873 receiving yards and 11 more scores. Additionally, he is currently averaging a rock-solid 8.4 yards per reception as an NFL running back.
It probably wouldn't hurt to play the Chargers not once but twice every season as well.
