Melvin Gordon has yet to report to the Los Angeles Chargers and will likely miss several more games while he holds out for a new contract, but that does not mean the star running back is angling for a divorce from the team.
Gordon is in the final year of his rookie contract and does not want to play without a long-term extension in place. Some have compared the situation to what Le’Veon Bell went through with the Pittsburgh Steelers a year ago, but a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that Gordon will wants to be a Charger and will not hold out for the entire 2019 season.
W/ LAC showing little interest in a trade, Melvin Gordon will continue to "protect himself" with holdout but will report to the team in '19, per source. "Not a Le'Veon Bell situation," source said. "He still wants to be a Charger." Midseason/early Nov. return looking more likely
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 13, 2019
Even if Gordon was hoping for a split with the Chargers, his only hope is for the team to trade or release him. Unlike Bell, he is still under contract. Bell refused to sign his franchise tender and was thus never under contract with the Steelers, which allowed him to miss the entire season. Gordon has to be on the active roster by Week 10 at the latest to prevent his contract from tolling, otherwise he could end up in the exact same spot a year from now.
At least one team has reportedly made a trade offer to the Chargers, but a deal seems unlikely. Gordon, who is forfeiting a portion of his $5.6 million salary for 2019 while holding out, has a history of knee issues. That is almost certainly a big reason why LA is hesitant to pay him top dollar and teams are not lining up to trade for him.
Gordon rushed for 885 yards and 10 touchdowns last year in just 12 games. He has been productive when healthy, but he has played a full 16-game season just once in his NFL career.
