Despite threats of a trade demand if he doesn’t get a new contract, running back Melvin Gordon on Saturday said he wants to remain with the Los Angeles Chargers.
“I want to end up with the Chargers,” Gordon said Saturday at SportsCon in Dallas. “That’s my home. I’m not going to sit here and be like, ‘Man, I don’t want to go back to the Chargers, dah, dah, dah.’ Like that’s the team who blessed me with an opportunity. They started my life. They changed my life. Out of all 32 teams, that was the team that called. I can’t forget them for that.
“But it’s an opportunity right now where I know I need to take advantage of it. You know, I want to get paid. That’s just kind of what it is. Hopefully I end up a Charger. That’s the goal. I want to end up with the Chargers.”
The 26-year-old Gordon, who was drafted 15th overall by the Chargers in 2015, is entering the final year of his rookie contract — a fifth-year option worth $5.6 million. However, agent Fletcher Smith told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday that, without a new deal, Gordon will not report to training camp and will demand a trade.
Gordon has been voted to two Pro Bowls and rushed for an average of 5.1 yards per carry and recorded 14 total touchdowns in 2018. He also averaged 114.6 scrimmage yards per game last season, the best by any Chargers player since LaDainian Tomlinson (121.8 in 2007), according to ESPN Stats & Information.
He skipped most of the offseason but attended mandatory minicamp. The Chargers are scheduled to open training camp July 24 in Costa Mesa, California.