Melvin Gordon has decided to end his holdout earlier than expected, and it would not be a surprise if his decision was financially motivated. By sitting out just three games, the star running back has already forfeited quite a bit of money.
By skipping all of training camp and the first three games of the season, Gordon has subjected himself to a total of $1.2 million in fines. His remaining base salary for the season is just over $4.6 million.
Cost of a holdout:
Melvin Gordon will be subject to $1.2 million worth of fines while losing out on $989,118 worth of base salary for the first three games.
Gordon still earn $4,615,882 of base salary for the rest of this season. He will be a free agent, with plans to move on.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 26, 2019
Gordon was initially expected to hold out for at least half the season, but he probably realized that he is just forfeiting salary for no reason and really has no leverage. He is under contract for 2019 and the Chargers have the option of placing the franchise tag on him next offseason if they want to keep him. Playing nice might be a better way to get a long-term extension from the team.
The Chargers gave Gordon permission to seek a trade, and he was reportedly interested in going to at least one other AFC team. However, a deal was really never close.
Austin Ekeler has racked up more the 350 yards from scrimmage in Gordon’s absence, so he will likely still play a role even with Gordon back.
