ESPN’s Chargers reporter “expects” Gordon to return for Week 1.
The 2019 NFL season begins exactly one week from today, and there are still a number superstar players who have not yet reported to camp. Among them, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, Houston Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, Washington Redskins fensive tackle Trent Williams, and Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon.
Gordon, entering the fifth and final year his contract, is set to make $5.6 million in the upcoming season and there’s a real chance his holdout extends into the regular season. That said, ESPN’s Chargers reporter Eric D. Williams says he “expects” Gordon to report to the team in time for their Monday night matchup in San Francisco in Week 1.
Also note, Gordon tweeted that he was fended when a fantasy football owner said he was contemplating selecting him in the sixth round, which some may take as an indication that Gordon doesn’t plan to miss many, if any, regular season games.
Gordon earned Pro Bowl honors in two his four seasons thus far, including last season during which he rushed for 885 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 games, to go along with 490 receiving yards and four receiving TDs.
ESPN’s Josina Anderson recently reported that Gordon’s agent, Damarius Bilbo, requested a trade in July, after it appeared the Chargers appear were unwilling to budge f their $10M per year fer. However, GM Tom Telesco didn’t give Bilbo permission to seek out potential trade partners.
Other running backs on the Chargers depth chart include Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson and Troymaine Pope.