Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon is upset with his current contract situation after reportedly demanding a new deal and threatening to hold out, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Gordon is currently set to make just $5.6 million in the final year of his rookie deal after being drafted in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. (RELATED: Los Angeles Chargers Running Back Melvin Gordon Pranks Uber Driver)
Los Angeles running back Melvin Gordon has informed the Chargers that unless he receives a new contract, he will not report to training camp and he will demand a trade, his agent Fletcher Smith told ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 11, 2019
Gordon threatening to holdout, and even possibly demand a trade, should make Chargers fans a bit concerned about the current contract situation. Gordon has been consistently in the top tier of running backs since bursting onto the scene in 2016 compiling at least 12 total touchdowns and 850 yards rushing over the last three seasons.
This is an extremely risky situation for the young running back. He could either be extended before training camp and this will just be a mid-July storyline or training camp starts and he has to decide if he was bluffing or not.
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We all saw how a similar situation with Le’Veon Bell ended last season, and I am sure Gordon would very much want to remain within the Chargers organization.
I always side with the players in these circumstances, especially in Gordon’s case. He is so vital to the Chargers offense and has taken a bit of the burden off of the hands of quarterback Philip Rivers. Gordon is certainly deserving of a new contract and Chargers general manager Tom Telesco should be on the phone with his agent immediately.
Without Gordon, the Chargers hopes in the 2019-2020 season would take a massive hit. They need Gordon focused on running through defenders like he has in his first four seasons in the league.
The Chargers have 14 days until training camp begins.
