Melvin Gordon will likely return to his starting role

What does this all mean?

There are multiple scenarios to consider for Gordon’s return to the Chargers’ backfield. Whisenhunt and Lynn’s history suggests Gordon will walk right back to his usual role once he reports with the team between Weeks 6 to 8. However, there are many scenarios to consider.

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If Ekeler keeps performing how he did the first two weeks, will that lead role still be Gordon’s? There’s also the scenario where Gordon gets punished in one way or another for his holdout, either by making him play second fiddle to Ekeler, or riding him into the ground in his potential last year with the Chargers.

Should Ekeler have a few other bad games, or start to lose effectiveness as teams figure out how to defend against him, then Gordon will have the door open for the lead role, and even if Ekeler excels in the next games, that job may still be Gordon’s. This is very unlikely, as the Chargers’ next opponent, the Miami Dolphins, are notoriously bad defending the run, or defending anything for that matter.

As the news of Gordon’s return heats up in the next few days, speculation about the role he will have will be everywhere.

A lot of people will suggest a 50-50 split, and some will even say this is Ekeler’s backfield now. No matter what the sources and reports say, the most likely thing is Gordon will return to his starting role, maybe as soon as Week 5 against the Broncos.