Saturday's deadline to finalize 53-man rosters has come and gone, and so has the Los Angeles Chargers' patience with Melvin Gordon.
Amid the running back's contract standoff with the club, Los Angeles has given Gordon and his reps permission to seek a trade, sources told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
Gordon intends to evaluate his options, which include returning to the Chargers.
The running back has been away from the team all summer as he seeks a contract extension worth more than $10 million per year, which is what Bolts GM Tom Telesco and his front office reportedly initially offered Gordon. The fifth-year tailback is set to make $5.6 million in 2019.
This latest development allows Gordon's camp and Los Angeles to gauge what Gordon would be worth on the trade block and what type of extension other teams would be willing to hand the running back.
Though Gordon has stated publicly that he wishes to remain a Charger, if both sides find a RB-needy suitor eager to compensate both Gordon and the Bolts in a way they seem fit, then the running back might enjoy a future in football elsewhere.
Los Angeles is operating from a point of leverage because of its deep running back room. The Bolts employ Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson, both of whom thrived down the stretch of the 2018 season when Gordon was hampered by injuries. Gordon is also statistically not in the realm of the top-paid backs in the league like Todd Gurley and Le'Veon Bell.
For the last few weeks, the Bolts have been betting that Gordon would eventually return from his holdout and play out his contract. Allowing his reps to discuss a trade with other teams could expedite that process -- or fast-track Gordon's one-way ticket out of town.
