As the Los Angeles Chargers begin training camp, they'll be without one of their crucial skill players. Melvin Gordon has decided to hold out in hopes of forcing the Chargers' hand to give him a new contract extension.
Coming into this season, Gordon is entering the final year of his rookie deal that he signed in 2015. Gordon is set to make $5.6 million in 2019, making him the 11th highest-paid running back in the upcoming season.
The Chargers' running back has let it be known that he wishes to be paid according to his worth. But is Gordon making the right move by holding out from the Chargers?
Currently, Gordon has some of the best leverage he'll have in his career to land a lucrative deal. So yes, Gordon is making the right move by holding out. Maybe not in the eyes of Chargers fans but most don't realize how the business side of the NFL works.
Gordon is a big part of the Chargers offense in the rushing and passing attack. Running backs in the NFL now are expected to be able to be a dual-threat weapon out of the backfield.
In his four seasons with the Chargers, Gordon has touched the ball over 1,000 times with 1,079 touches. The Chargers will continue giving Gordon over 300 carries, with him taking a beating until he doesn't benefit them anymore.
Playing the running back position in the NFL takes a toll on player's bodies and those guys want to be paid according to how much they are producing for the team. Therefore, holding out is one of the only options for a running back to get his money.
There's been an ongoing debate on whether or not running backs are replaceable in today's league. Some are, but running backs like Gordon aren't easy to find.
For instance, Le'Veon Bell sat out the entire 2018 season due to not getting a contract he was expecting to get from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Although, unlike Gordon, Bell technically wasn't under contract as he decided not to sign the franchise tag that the Steelers gave him.
As a result, Bell became an unrestricted free agent at the completion of the 2018 season. Bell ended up signing with the New York Jets and received a deal that he saw as beneficial to him.
In Bell's absence, Steelers fans believed that they were better without him but were they? James Conner showed his potential to be a talented back in the NFL but he isn't Bell. And it showed in the Steelers offense.
Without the presence of Bell, the Steelers offense ranked 31st in the NFL in rushing offense. They also failed to make the playoffs and the team chose to be distracted by his absence.
The Steelers offense no longer had a weapon in their backfield that defensive coordinators had to gameplan against. Instead, teams were keying on Antonio Brown in the passing game.
As for Gordon, having one year left on his current contract is one of the only aspects of his holdout that causes any issue. Although, Gordon wants a deal that protects him before the Chargers decide to run him into the ground.
Gordon has said he wants to remain with the Chargers but without having any assurance of his future, why should he put his body on the line? After all, the Chargers could've been planning to give Gordon over 300 touches in 2019 and then send him to the street.
Like most teams, the Chargers want to get the most out of their players while they are cheap. What helps Gordon is that he is still only 26-years old, leaving him a few more seasons where he can play at a high-level.
People also make the argument that: “if he's under contract he should have to honor that contract.” But what about when a guy is under contract and a team decides to trade that guy before his contract expires? Did the team honor that contract?
The business side of the NFL is a shady side of football that isn't brought to light a majority of the time. And for good reason as fans would rather watch exciting plays rather than seeing guys being thrown to the side by their favorite team.
What hurts Gordon is that the NFL is trending towards being a pass-happy league. In today's NFL, running backs aren't as valuable to most teams as others. Despite that, Gordon is making the right choice to do what is best for himself.
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