COSTA MESA, Calif. -- In a video chat with his Instagram followers on Tuesday, Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon said he's "going to play somewhere" this season and that "it would be a waste of talent" if he did not.
Gordon also said that although the Chargers finished 12-4 in L.A. and reached the postseason in 2018, last year "was good, but nobody [fans in L.A.] cared."
Gordon continues to hold out because of a contract impasse with the Chargers. Gordon's representation asked for and was granted permission by the Chargers to pursue a trade, but so far no deal has materialized with another team.
Gordon is scheduled to make $5.605 million in the final season of his rookie deal. Just before the season started, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco announced that the team postponed negotiations with Gordon until the season is over. If Gordon chooses to report, he will play under his current contract.
Gordon desires a contract extension that will compensate him among the top running backs in the league like Todd Gurley, David Johnson and Le'Veon Bell, who earn an average of $13 million to $14 million annually. During training camp, the Chargers offered Gordon a new contract that doubled his salary at roughly $10 million annually.
Gordon likely will continue to sit and wait to see whether his leverage in negotiations changes during the season, depending on the Chargers' record or injuries at his position.
If all that fails, the NFL's constitution and bylaws state that players on the Reserve/Did Not Report list are "prohibited from being reinstated in the last 30 days of the regular season."
If Gordon wants to play this year, he would have to report no later than Nov. 29 (31 days before the end of the regular season).
Gordon also needs to report by then to earn credit for this season so he can become an unrestricted free agent in 2020. However, the Chargers can still place the franchise tag on Gordon next season and could control his rights for the next two years.
Gordon continues to train in San Diego during his holdout.