Melvin Gordon and the Los Angeles Chargers have been at a contract impasse for months. That impasse has just widened into a crater, as the star running back has taken his ball and gone home for the first half of the NFL season.
Will Melvin Gordon Play This Year?
NFL sources report that Gordon will miss not only the Chargers’ opening game this afternoon against the Colts, but the first six to eight weeks of the 2019 season. Why six to eight weeks? If Gordon fails to report to the Chargers by Week 10, this season will not count toward his current contract and he will not be eligible for free agency next year.
The Chargers made their move when they pulled their contract offer from Gordon and tabled all contract discussions until after the season. Gordon’s threat may convince L.A. management to change their minds if the current running-back duo of Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson fail to produce early in the season.
For now, Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn has tried to focus on more important matters.
“We’ve been talking about this for a month and a half,” said Lynn. “Now, it’s time to play football.”
