It’s no secret that the market for running backs has diminished rapidly, and plenty are finding out the hard way.
Veteran running backs have come together in group chats and Zoom calls to try to combat it, and Melvin Gordon is quite familiar with it.
Gordon was the 15th overall pick in 2015 to the then-San Diego Chargers, racking up two Pro Bowl nods with them. But in 2019, in his fifth season and his contract set to expire, he, too, threatened to hold out in hopes to make money compared to the likes of Todd Gurley, Le’Veon Bell, and David Johnson. His holdout went into the regular season, and he missed the first four games of that season.
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Melvin Gordon III #25 of the Denver Broncos walks off the field after fumbling the football in the second quarter of a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field At Mile High on November 20, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
His strategy did not work. The following March, despite wanting to remain with Los Angeles, he signed a two-year, $16 million pact with the Denver Broncos in 2020, far from what he desired. He got the bulk of the work ahead of Phillip Lindsay that year, but the following season, he was in a true timeshare with rookie Javonte Williams — they each had 203 carries that season.
Gordon re-signed a one-year deal ahead with Denver, but he was released midseason after his fumbling problems, even after Williams tore his ACL. Meanwhile, the Chargers hit a home run in Austin Ekeler, who ironically enough asked to be traded this offseason because of contract issues.
Gordon, now a member of the Baltimore Ravens, said if he could start it all over, he wouldn’t be a running back.
On FanduelTV’s “Up And Adams,” Gordon was asked if he would change positions if he could “do it again.”
“Hell yeah,” he replied.
Melvin Gordon III #25 of the Denver Broncos high fives a fan before his game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on November 13, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Silas Walker/Getty Images)
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“I’m not gonna downplay [my career], but I definitely would’ve switched my position. For sure,” Gordon continued, saying he’d play either “corner or safety.”
“They get paid good. They take less hits. They don’t worry about too much. They’re not having conversations about not getting paid enough if you’re a good enough player, and I think you just get to live out your dream a little bit longer. I think our shelf-life is, because of how they look at us, is shortened. Their dream gets to last longer.
“It’s bigger than the money, too. You just have an opportunity to play a lot longer and live our your dream a little longer than backs do.”
Saquon Barkley signed his franchise tag with the New York Giants on Tuesday, although he did admit a couple of weeks ago the thought of holding out crept into his head. Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard did not sign their tags, while Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott and Leonard Fournette are among top running backs still on the market. Hence the recent rebellion by the veteran backs to combat their depleting market.
Melvin Gordon III #25 of the Denver Broncos takes to the field prior to a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field At Mile High on November 20, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
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The last running back to sign a contract worth $10 million or more per season was Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns. He signed a three-year, $36.6 million pact with $20 million guaranteed in 2021.
