In 2019, running back Melvin Gordon held out in search of a new contract from the Los Angeles Chargers. He ended up missing the first three weeks of the season, not getting what he wanted, then losing work to teammate Austin Ekeler even once he returned.
Gordon admitted in a conference call Friday that he regretted the holdout, and not just because of lost money. He felt the attitude in the building changed toward him as well.
“I mean it was tough but, I definitely felt like I ruined some relationships,” Gordon said, via Kevin Patra of Around the NFL. “It’s all part of it. Obviously, you try your best to kind of put that aside and go out there and still give it your all. That’s what I tried to do. At times it definitely was difficult. You kind of felt some tension. Well, I kind of felt some tension walking around, but I just tried my best to keep a smile on my face and just show up for work every day. Like I said it was difficult and challenging, but I got through. Obviously, I can’t take back what I did. What I did was done. And now I’m here.”
Gordon is a cautionary tale when it comes to holdouts. He lost money and ultimately the Chargers realized they could move on without him. Ultimately, he landed with the Denver Broncos for less money than he turned down from the Chargers, and he seems to know that he did himself a disservice last year.
