Running back Melvin Gordon said Saturday he doesn’t want to leave the Los Angeles Chargers, but he will “do what I need to do” to get paid.
“I want to end up with the Chargers. That’s my home,” Gordon said at SportsCon 2019 in Dallas, per NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk. “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 that blessed me with an opportunity. They started my life. They changed my life. Of all 32 teams, that was the team that called me. 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.”
Gordon’s agent, Fletcher Smith, said earlier this week that his client will not report to training camp without a new contract. Smith also said that a failure to reach an agreement would result in a trade demand.
“I’m prepared to do what I need to do,” Gordon said. “That’s just what it’s going to be.”
Gordon signed a four-year, $10.67 million deal as a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, and in April, the Chargers exercised their fifth-year option for $5.61 million for 2019.
The 26-year-old has scored 38 touchdowns over the past three seasons. In 55 career games, the two-time Pro Bowl selection has gained 5,205 yards from scrimmage.
Gordon did not attend voluntary workouts with the Chargers but did report to minicamp in June. The team is scheduled to open training camp July 25.
Gordon said he was not sure where talks stand.
“My guess is as good as yours right now,” he said. “We’re going to give them some time and see where it heads. We’ve still got some time out before training camp. But hopefully things get figured out.”
