Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon has decided to officially end his holdout for a contract extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports.
Gordon is expected to report to the team on Thursday, but will not play in the Chargers’ Week 4 contest against the Miami Dolphins this Sunday.
Sources: The holdout is ending. #Chargers RB Melvin Gordon is, in fact, reporting to the team tomorrow. He won’t play this week, but he is planning to be back in the fold with his teammates.
From @NFLTotalAccess: #Chargers RB Melvin Gordon is set to report to his team tomorrow, as his holdout is over and it's time to get to work. pic.twitter.com/rDe42TyOg7
Gordon will now play through the fifth-year option of his rookie contract without a new deal. He's set to earn $5.6 million for the 2019 campaign. Even though the 26-year-old star running back was expected to lose out on a $330,000 check for each regular season game he missed, both sides could negotiate a financial settlement where he forgoes a smaller portion of the money he was supposed to make.
Back in July, Gordon delivered an ultimatum to the Chargers through his agent Fletcher Smith that he wouldn't report to training camp and demand a trade if he didn't get a new deal. The two sides tried to towards an extension, but never got close in their negotiations with Gordon seeking around $13 million per year, comparable to the market of today's top tier running backs. The Chargers stayed around the $10 million range annually.
The Chargers shopped Gordon around, but demanded the steep return of a 2020 first-round pick. The Philadelphia Eagles were the only known team to approach the Chargers with an offer for Gordon, but nothing came of their talks.
Now, Gordon will throw caution in the wind and hope for the best.
