Melvin Gordon Wants a New Deal or Else – Chargers Need to Pay the Man

After four seasons in the NFL in which he’s never played 16 regular season games, Chargers running back Melvin Gordon wants a new contract, or he will not report to training camp and he will demand a trade.

The 26-year-old back is scheduled to be heading into the last year of his contract, a fifth-year option worth $5.6 million.

While it might seem on paper not a good move for the Chargers to give Gordon what he wants, they have to be realistic that if they want to remain a Super Bowl contender, the best move for the club is to ante up and pay the back.

Gordon played in 12 games last season. He ran for an average of 5.1 yards and averaged 114.6 scrimmage yards per game last season scoring 18 times.

He’s also been to a pair of Pro Bowls, and is by far and away the best Charger back since LaDainian Tomlinson.

He is also sorely underpaid by the standards of other NFL workhorse running backs.

Todd Gurley, David Johnson, Le’Veon Bell – all three-down backs who are getting paid substantially more than Gordon. Bell inked an offseason deal with the Jets for $52.5 million over four years and up to $61 million with incentives.

Would Gordon give the Chargers a hometown discount? Of course they are going to try, and maybe Gordon will give it to them.

If not, they still need to get him a new deal.

There’s too much on the line for this team to have this big of a distraction, and a thing like this can put this team behind the 8-ball before camp and run to the Super Bowl even starts.

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