Chargers running back Melvin Gordon ended his 64-day holdout a week ago.
Gordon suited out for last weekend’s matchup against the Dolphins, but he didn’t play. After RB Justin Jackson was ruled out with a calf injury, there was the anticipation that he was going to see the field.
Instead, he watched the entire from the sidelines in a navy blue Chargers hat.
Heading into this weekend’s contest against the Broncos, Gordon is expected to make his 2019 debut, but don’t expect him to resume the load that a starting running back would receive.
“He’s definitely going to be a part of the game plan this week. Last week we only suited him up for an emergency situation because we have some injuries to the backfield. If one guy had gone down, he would have had to play last week and that would have been tough because he only had a day and a half of practice,” coach Anthony Lynn said.
Now Gordon could start the game as the No. 1 back, but his playing time won’t suggest that. Lynn said that the team wants to ease him back into the offense.
“He’s definitely going to have a workload this week, but not too big. I want to work him in and I don’t want to overdo it,” Lynn said.
Austin Ekeler helps with taking the load off of Gordon. Ekeler’s been outstanding through four games, tallying 490 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns.
To ensure that Gordon stays healthy for the rest of the season, Los Angeles could lean on Ekeler to man the backfield, while still giving the former Wisconsin product a fair share of snaps.
