Melvin Gordon: Teammates “got his back” on contract dispute

Chargers running back Melvin Gordon is at it again. Just 24 hours after suggesting the team would “cave and pay me”; Melvin sat down with ESPN’s Sam Alipour for a one-on-one interview. Alipour took the opportunity to ask Melvin about how his holdout was being received by his teammates and fellow NFL running backs.

Regarding his teammates, Melvin said, “They’re all behind me. They all got my back.”

He would go on to say, “They all told me, ‘You know what -- we don’t really speak on contracts -- but you just go and do what’s best for your family.’ And I’m glad I got that support from them.”

When asked about the response from his fellow running backs, Melvin said, ”A lot of running backs have reached out to me just saying go out and get what you deserve.”

Unlike his “cave and pay me” comments yesterday, there isn’t really a great deal of groundbreaking news here.

National Football League players almost always support each other in these situations, especially teammates. With the average NFL career lasting roughly three years, everyone is looking to make as much money as they can in a short time, and they all realize they may need similar support at some point in their careers.

It’s also important to remember Melvin’s holdout is still just a threat at this point. Training camp doesn’t start until July 25, so Gordon hasn’t missed so much as a workout, let alone a practice or game. In other words, he isn’t really absent yet, and the team hasn’t really been hurt by said absence. It’s easy to support what, at the moment, is a theoretical hold out.

Let’s see how many teammates support him if he still hasn’t reported by week four or five of the regular season.

And no one should be surprised that other backs around the league have offered their support over the last week. Why? Because they all assume Melvin getting paid will directly benefit them when their time comes. Of course they’re going to encourage and support him when they have nothing to lose and so much to gain.

If you ask me, this was a wasted opportunity for Sam Alipour and, especially, for Melvin Gordon. Alipour lobbed a few softballs and Melvin beat out a few swinging bunts. Nothing new was learned, no new blood was drawn, and I’m not even sure Melvin got any real mileage out of the chat. But hey, at least his teammates and fellow running backs support him.