Melvin Gordon is extremely unhappy about the way the Los Angeles Chargers have valued him in contract talks, and now he wants to be traded.
Josina Anderson of ESPN shared that Gordon’s agent, Damarius Bilbo, told her he requested a trade last week. Furthermore, he states the team’s offer is worth approximately $10 million per year, and that the team has not granted him permission to seek trade partners.
Gordon is a training camp holdout, and he has threatened to hold out during the regular season as well. He believes the Chargers are insulting him with what he considers to be a low-ball offer.
While it’s impossible not to be impressed with Gordon’s production the past few years (38 total touchdowns since 2016), the simple fact of the matter is that running backs are once more being devalued in today’s NFL.
This is something Jerry Jones brought up publicly when discussing the Ezekiel Elliott holdout, as well.
The Chargers certainly want him on the team and have said as much. However, they have also made it clear that they aren’t going to budge on their contract offer, and that they are going to be okay if Gordon doesn’t join them.
So this game of contract chicken will continue for the foreseeable future. And it sure seems like the Chargers are bracing for a potential Le’Veon Bell situation to unfold once the season begins.