The folks at Patriots Wire provided this story on multiple Wisconsin Badgers who have covered themselves in NFL glory.
Melvin Gordon wants James White to pass this message on to Bill Belichick https://t.co/lpHFjLZfAw
— The Patriots Wire (@Patriots_Wire) January 15, 2020
It is a well-documented reality that Melvin Gordon wants to be paid at a higher level, a legitimate demand given his scale of output and degree of importance as a member of the Los Angeles Chargers. It is also known that James White has been an important Swiss Army knife skill-position player for the New England Patriots in their dynastic run over the past several seasons.
These crosscurrents met when White posted on Instagram about his ability to keep getting contracts, albeit with comparatively modest numbers when matched against what Gordon is seeking:
Gordon found a clever way to express support for his Wisconsin teammate while also reminding everyone of his uncertain situation with the Chargers. He replied to White’s post:
“Tell bill get that bread right 😂”.
It is a moment of levity in which Melvin Gordon didn’t take himself too seriously. It is the kind of moment which makes Gordon more relatable and reduces the distance between athletes and the viewing public. This is merely one small manifestation of the larger reality of how social media has given fans a small (and carefully controlled) but still real measure of increased access into the lives and thought worlds of professional athletes.
The Super Bowl is in two and a half weeks. After that game on Feb. 2, all eyes will turn to NFL free agency, where several big-name players — including and especially those on James White’s Patriots and Melvin Gordon’s Chargers — could move to other teams.
It is not likely that Tom Brady and Philip Rivers will change places — Brady to Los Angeles, Rivers to Foxborough — but that also doesn’t seem like an impossible turn of events, either. If Brady does leave New England, the Patriots will need to find someone as their 2020 quarterback. NFL analyst and reporter Peter King has suggested Andy Dalton to the Patriots. The rumor mill has cranked out a Rivers-to-Indianapolis-Colts suggestion. Rivers and Brady swapping places might not be LESS absurd than those, but it certainly isn’t MORE absurd, either.
Stay tuned. Meanwhile, enjoy the fact that Melvin Gordon and James White had a few laughs and some happiness on Instagram.