Melvin Gordon appears to be drawing a line in the sand, and it sounds like he won’t cross it until he gets what he wants:
More on Los Angeles running back Melvin Gordon informing the Chargers that unless he receives a new contract, he will not report to training camp and will demand a trade:https://t.co/EakhJBGHSc
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 11, 2019
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Chargers Pro Bowl running back will not report to training camp unless he gets a new deal. And if Gordon doesn’t get one, he will demand a trade (presumably a team that will meet his contract demands). It’s a bold stand to take, but one Gordon is making in order to reel in some security. Gordon is in the fifth (and final) year of his rookie deal and is set to make about $5.6 million this season.
If this feels familiar, it might be because Khalil Mack was in a similar situation at this time last year.
Mack was set to play out the fifth year of his own rookie deal in 2018, but wanted a long-term commitment and had some lofty expectations when it came to what he wanted his next deal to look like. Because Jon Gruden and the Raiders played hard-ball, Mack sat out OTAs, mandatory minicamps, training camp, and the preseason. After Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald reset the market for handsomely paid defensive players, the Bears and Raiders came together on a deal that would send Mack to Chicago and make him the highest-paid defensive player in football. All is well that ends well, am I right?
I’m not sure Gordon is going to get a whopper of a deal like Mack, but he should be in line to get more than his fair share of the pie.
A 2015 first-round pick of the then-San Diego Chargers, Gordon has been an all-purpose machine out west. Over the last three years, Gordon has averaged 1,457 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns per season. Gordon has been a Pro Bowl back in two of his last three seasons. And in 2017, when Gordon didn’t make the Pro Bowl, he notched his first 1,000-yard rushing season.
Gordon pulling the Mack card en route to a new deal or a trade out of town that would send him to a team that would be more willing to hand him a large check is a strong play for the star rusher. And it’s one we’ll keep an eye on this summer. Because in addition to potential market-shifting moves, the Bears are set to play the Chargers in Week 8. And while that offense still figures to be potent with or without Gordon, it’s possible that matchup looks different in October than it does right now.