Trent Williams isn’t the only NFL player still holding out.
Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon will sit out Week 1, too, as he seeks a new contract from his team. Gordon plans to sit out till mid-October, NFL Network reported.
“The current plan is to report in the window that spans from Week 6 through Week 8,” Ian Rapoport wrote Sunday morning.
Gordon has until Week 10 to report to the Chargers for this season to “count,” or else he won’t reach unrestricted free agency on time.
The holdout bears some similarity to Le’Veon Bell’s holdout last year, but for a few key differences. The Pittsburgh Steelers gave Bell the franchise tag, and Bell didn’t sign it; Gordon is on the final year of his rookie contract, scheduled to make $5.6 million if he plays.
Bell became a free agent after the 2018 season despite never reporting to Pittsburgh. Gordon must report by a certain point for his contract not to “toll” and disrupt his scheduled free agency.
The Chargers said before the season that they were tabling contract negotiations with Gordon until after the season. They also granted Gordon’s agent permission to seek a trade partner. The trade deadline is Oct. 29.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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