Very few relationships between player and franchise deteriorated with the speed that Melvin Gordon and the Los Angeles Chargers did. The former No. 18 overall pick out of Wisconsin went from a valued long-term chip to someone fans ran out of town at the first opportunity.
Gordon had a three-year stretch in which he amassed over 4,300 yards from scrimmage and scored 38 touchdowns. After a year of middling performance, Gordon signed with the rival Denver Broncos, where he has not gotten back to his old form.
Gordon has been the starting running back for one of the league's worst offenses, as his 318 yards and 3.5 yards per carry on the ground is part of the reason Russell Wilson is unable to get out of neutral. Denver has had enough of Gordon, giving him his walking papers after yet another costly fumble.
Gordon was released by the Broncos, proving that even a 3-7 offense operated by one of the league's worst coaches in Nathaniel Hackett is not willing to tolerate his poor play. He'll get another job, but Gordon may never be a starting running back in the NFL ever again.
Sources: The #Broncos make a move following Sunday’s loss, as Denver has waived veteran RB Melvin Gordon. A respected player who spent 3 years with the Broncos, Gordon’s fumbles proved too much. A fresh start for all parties.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 21, 2022
Chargers fans will love that Melvin Gordon got cut.
Gordon's biggest issue was the fact he could not hold onto the ball. With 115 touches from scrimmage, he fumbled the ball five times. The only time he fumbled more than that was during his rookie year with San Diego, when fumbled six times in 217 touches.
This has been quite a fall from grace for Gordon, but the decline hasn't exactly been gradual. He was unable to hold off undrafted free agent Phillip Lindsay during his first year with the Broncos, then had his starting spot ripped away from him by a second-round rookie in Javonte Williams.
The friction between Gordon and his old fanbase was palpable. While he shot down rumors that he turned down a four-year contract with LA that would have paid him eight figures, the fat he took an $8 million per year deal with Denver ruffled feathers.
Claiming the Chargers "didn't have fans" probably didn't help either.
In the end, Melvin Gordon was a solid (albeit overpaid) running back for the first 2 years of his Broncos career and a terrible one since George Paton re-signed him last offseason.
— Joe Rowles (@JoRo_NFL) November 21, 2022
Fumbled once every 22.8 touches during his time in orange and blue.
Gordon wil likely resurface as a veteran backup for a team that needs some punchiness on their depth chart and an experienced presence in the locker room. However, his prime is very clearly over, and Chargers fans have to love that he didn't give Denver the value they thought they were getting.