Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Chargers halt talks with Gordon
GM Telesco: If Pro Bowl RB returns to team this season, he must play on current deal
Melvin Gordon’s holdout with the Chargers will not end with a new contract.
GM Tom Telesco said during a conference call Sunday that the team has informed Gordon’s agents that they have suspended contract talks until after the season. The Pro Bowl running back is on the didn’t report list after missing training camp and the preseason.
The Chargers — considered one of the contenders in the AFC to reach the Super Bowl — host the Colts in the Sept. 8 season opener.
“We have to get focused on the season and our next opponent,” Telesco said. “So when or if Melvin reports, he’ll play this season on his current contract, and we’ll just revisit it after the season.”
Gordon would make $5.6 million on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract. He’s seeking an extension in the neighborhood of Todd Gurley, David Johnson and Le’Veon Bell, who average between $13 and $14.4 million per season. The Chargers have offered a contract that would average around $10 million per year, but the sides have remained at an impasse.
Gordon has gained over 1,200 yards from scrimmage and scored 10 or more touchdowns in three straight seasons. He was sixth in the AFC in yards from scrimmage (1,375), ninth in rushing (885 yards) and scored 14 touchdowns last season as the Chargers made the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
But Gordon also has something in common with the other three running backs — injury issues. He missed four games late last season due to a knee injury and struggled after coming back, averaging 2.9 yards per carry compared to 5.2 yards pre injury.
The Chargers will go into the season with Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson as its running backs.
McCoy reunited with Reid: LeSean McCoy is going from a rebuilding franchise in the Bills to a Super Bowl contender in the Chiefs, and he’s reuniting with his close friend and former coach Andy Reid, too.
The Chiefs and the two-time All-Pro running back agreed to a one-year, $4 million, The AP reported. The deal was pending a physical.
McCoy would become the top backup to Damien Williams, likely siphoning carries from rookie Darwin Thompson and backup Darrell Williams. The Chiefs traded the other veteran running back that was expected to earn carries, Carlos Hyde, after he failed to impress during training camp and the preseason.
The 31-year-old McCoy spent his first six seasons with the Eagles, four of them under Reid, before spending the last four seasons with the Bills. The six-time Pro Bowl selection was released Saturday.
In 10 seasons, McCoy has run for more than 10,600 yards, placing him 25th on the career list and fourth among active players. Some of his best seasons came under Reid, including 2011 in which he ran for 1,309 yards and 17 TDs while earning his first All-Pro nod.
Extra points: The Seahawks finalized their trade for standout pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, sending two players and a 2020 third-round pick to the Texans for the former No. 1 overall draft pick . ... The Raiders claimed QB DeShone Kizer off waivers from the Packers. The move made gives the Raiders four QBs for the time being with Kizer joining starter Derek Carr and backups Mike Glennon and Nathan Peterman.