Will running back Melvin Gordon, who becomes an unrestricted free agent on March 18, suit up in the blue and gold during the 2020 season?
Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said that he’s hopeful the franchise can work a deal with Gordon.
“We love Melvin. He’s outstanding,” Lynn said on PFT Live. “He held out last year, that hurt us a little bit, but when he came back his attitude and the way he fit right back into the locker room was typical Melvin. We’d like to have him back, but it’s free agency and you never know what’s going to happen.”
Gordon, who was hoping to get a contract extension last offseason, sat out the first month of the 2019 season. He had a bumpy start before coming into his own. Starting in Week 9, Gordon had a five-game stretch that saw him total 526 total yards and four touchdowns. He tallied 908 all-purpose yards with nine touchdowns in 12 contests.
Even though Gordon has been productive the past few seasons, durability concerns loom as the former Wisconsin product has completed only one full 16-game slate in his five seasons since being picked in the first-round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
General manager Tom Telesco was asked how the situation has affected the team’s offseason plans on Tuesday, and from his comments it appears that the franchise is going to let Gordon test the free agency market.
“They’ve always been great discussions. His representation is doing their job, never contentious, and that’s the way these things go sometimes. You try and get to a place where both people think it’s going to work. It didn’t quite get there last year during training camp, but we always had good, constructive discussions with them. We’ll probably have them again here. But it is what it is right now,” Telesco said, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.
Even though the Chargers are slated to have $48 million in salary cap space, they have other needs that will need to be prioritized, including looking to sign non-household players, franchise tagging tight end Hunter Henry and extending defensive end Joey Bosa.
Los Angeles has Austin Ekeler, who will likely be tendered this offseason and Justin Jackson, two players that have proven themselves. The team could look to solidify the backfield by drafting a back late, signing an undrafted free agent or re-signing Troymaine Pope (if Gordon isn’t brought back).