Melvin Gordon Formally Requests Trade After Chargers Refuse to up Their Contract Offer
By Parker White
Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon has already made it known that he's willing to hold out into the regular season. That could very well happen, especially since the two sides are still far apart on a new contract.
As a result, according to ESPN's Josina Anderson, Gordon's agent asked the Chargers to trade him last week, as Los Angeles is still only willing to pay him $10 million a year.
Chargers RB Melvin Gordon's agent Damarius Bilbo tells me he requested a trade last wk for his client, after the team remained at their initial offer of aprox $10M/ year. GM Tom Telesco told Bilbo, Gordon is still family, but Bilbo was not given permission to seek trade partners.
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) August 1, 2019
Chargers general manager Tom Telesco still considers Gordon to be family, but he's not on board and hasn't given permission to his agent, Damarius Bilbo, to seek trade partners.
However, if they aren't willing to pay Gordon like a top-tier running back, I doubt this relationship can be fixed.
Melvin Gordon’s agent asks Chargers to trade his client https://t.co/QhgA2RPIT8
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 1, 2019
Trading Gordon may be the only way end this conflict and add value to a different area of the team.
The 26-year-old back is set to earn $5.6 million in 2019, but he'll become a free agent in 2020 and is looking to be paid like one of the best running backs in the league, which at this point will probably happen as a member of another team.