According to Adam Schefter, Chargers RB Melvin Gordon has informed the team that unless he receives a new deal, he will hold out from training camp and demand a trade.
Per Tom Pelissero, one of Gordon’s agents added there was a “strong possibility” Gordon could continue his holdout into the regular season without a new deal, “but we want to focus on getting something done before training camp.”
Gordon’s agent Fletcher Smith told Schefter Gordon was disappointed with the lack of progress during negotiations and felt they needed to voice their displeasure to try and move things along.
“He’s very serious,” Bilbo told NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. “He’s worked his butt off and the fifth-year option is a result of where he was drafted. It’s what it is. But if we’d gotten a respectable offer, we wouldn’t be here. But he felt disrespected. He’s very serious.”
Gordon is entering the final year of his deal and playing out the 2019 season on his fifth-year option, which will pay him about $5.6 million.
Gordon said back in January he was waiting for then free-agent RB Le’Veon Bell to sign his deal, which ended up being for four years and a max of $61 million, before signing an extension with the Chargers.
Gordon said then he would like to remain with the Chargers “for a while.” Chargers GM Tom Telesco also said earlier this offseason that an extension for Gordon is something they would look at.
Gordon, 26, is a former first-round pick out of Wisconsin by the Chargers in the 2015 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year $10.669 million rookie contract that was fully guaranteed and made a base salary of $1,889,967 for the 2018 season.
The Chargers picked up Gordon’s fifth-year option this past May worth $5,605,000 for the 2019 season.
In 2018, Gordon appeared in 12 games for the Chargers and rushed for 885 yards on 175 carries (5.1 YPC) to go along with 50 receptions for 490 yards receiving and 14 total touchdowns. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 7 running back out of 62 qualifying players.
We’ll have more regarding the Chargers and Gordon as the news is available.
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