Subscribe
Follow Us
Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon has honored his word of holding out of training camp. Though he's ostensibly waiting for the team to honor his accompanying trade request, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco clearly hasn't abandoned hopes of bringing Gordon back long-term.
As the Chargers opened training camp on Wednesday without Gordon in tow, Telesco went out of his way to praise the two-time Pro Bowler.
“I love Melvin Gordon,” he said, per ESPN's Eric D. Williams. “He's an excellent player. He's tough. He has a great work ethic and represents our organization extremely well. But he's not here. I understand his thoughts and opinions of what he's going through. I always look at the player's side, so I can see it. It doesn't mean I agree with it, but I can kind of see what his thought process is.”
Gordon reported to minicamp in June as he and his representatives engaged in early extension negotiations with Los Angeles management. Those talks quickly stalled, leading him to publicly threaten a holdout and potential trade demand if the Chargers refused to offer him a market-value extension.
Article Continues Below
Regardless, Los Angeles is apparently keen on proceeding as if Gordon will be a part of the team going forward.
“My only thought process is he's playing here,” Telesco said. “He's an L.A. Charger.”
Gordon averaged a career-best 5.1 yards per carry last season en route to 885 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, also adding 50 catches for 490 yards and four scores, despite being limited to 12 games due to injury. He's slated to earn $5.6 million this season before hitting the free-agent market next spring.
