Melvin Gordon ending his holdout with the Los Angeles Chargers and was active for their Week 4 game. Despite his active status, his box score stats contained nothing but goose eggs. He didn't play.
Gordon thought he would, saying, via Gilbert Manzano of Orange County Register:
“I thought I was [going to play] at some point. Coach told me to get my helmet, I was going to go in, Ekeler was tired and also had a whole bunch of reps. Then a timeout happened, so, they were just… they were thinking about it though.”
While Gordon didn't play, Austin Ekeler and Troymain Pope did a fine job of holding down the fort in Los Angeles' 30-10 win. Ekeler finished with 18 rushes for 60 yards and a score and five receptions for 62 and another score. Pope: ten rushes for 20 yards, two receptions for 14 and a touchdown.
Gordon isn't disappointed that he didn't play, he didn't know what he'd do.
“I didn't know what to expect, honestly. I was asking my coaches what was I doing, it was kind of in the air. ‘Am I playing? Am I an emergency back? I don't know what I'm doing.' He's like ‘You're playing' I was like ‘Okay.' Nah, it didn't feel like I was playing… But, I ended up not playing. It is what it is.”
The original plan was to sit Gordon for Week 4. Then backup Justin Jackson sustained an injury. The Chargers activated him to play as an emergency back but clearly didn't need him.
He should be ready to go next week, against the Denver Broncos.
