Two weeks have passed in the NFL season and we still haven't seen star running back Melvin Gordon out on the field. Gordon is currently holding out from playing with the Los Angeles Chargers as he isn't a very big fan of his contract situation. Much like Ezekiel Elliott was, Gordon is on a rookie contract and wants to get paid now before he starts his decline. The Chargers and Gordon seem fairly far apart right now and the team's running game is starting to suffer because of it.
In a recent Instagram live session, Gordon addressed his fans and told them he is going to play this year although it's going to be "somewhere." He isn't promising a return to the Chargers and even said "it would be a waste of talent” should he miss the entire season. Thanks to an article from ESPN’s Eric D. Williams, we know exactly why Gordon is sitting out right now.
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Per Williams:
"Gordon desires a contract extension that will compensate him among the top running backs in the league like Todd Gurley, David Johnson and Le’Veon Bell, who earn an average of $13 to $14 million annually. During training camp the Chargers offered Gordon a new contract that doubled his salary at roughly $10 million annually.
Gordon likely will continue to sit and wait to see if his leverage in negotiations changes during the season, depending on the Chargers’ record or injuries at his position."
Stay tuned for updates on Gordon's holdout situation as we will be sure to bring them to you.
[Via]