Melvin Gordon, entering his fifth season in the NFL and thus still on his rookie deal, is dissatisfied with his contract with the Los Angeles Chargers and is taking those frustrations public:
Los Angeles running back Melvin Gordon has informed the Chargers that unless he receives a new contract, he will not report to training camp and he will demand a trade, his agent Fletcher Smith told ESPN.
Elite backs in the NFL persistently face this issue. The five-year deals for first round picks lock them in at below market wages, and then when they hit their mid to late twenties the teams say they are nearing the end of their useful lives. Last year, Gordon missed four games with an injured knee, but when he was playing he averaged over five yards per carry. Gordon is slated to make $5.6 million this season.
Off the top of my head, if they could make the compensation work the Packers would be a great fit for Gordon. He is from and played college football at Wisconsin, and is the threat to catch passes out of the backfield that Aaron Rodgers has been sorely lacking. [Reply]
Originally Posted by O.city:
The issue here too is that Gordon just has zero leverage. Who's giving up a reasonable pick AND a new contract for him?
If he doesn't show up the first week of camp he has to repeat the last year of his contract just like Chris Jones. So his leverage is even lower. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chief Roundup:
If he doesn't show up the first week of camp he has to repeat the last year of his contract just like Chris Jones. So his leverage is even lower.
I'm not sure though, he's on his fifth year option. Does that change anything? [Reply]
Originally Posted by Halfcan:
Hopefully, the Chargers pay him the richest contract in NFL history for the 12 games he will play this year when he is not hurt.