The LA Chargers traded up to draft running back Melvin Gordon in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. While Gordon did not score a touchdown in his rookie season, it did not take him long to establish himself as one of the best dual-threat running backs in the sport.
Gordon played during a fork-in-the-road moment in the NFL where NFL teams had to decide if they wanted to pay running backs top-tier money after their rookie deals. Spearheaded by Le'Veon Bell, more and more running backs were holding out in hopes of signing a more lucrative contract than teams were willing to offer.
Gordon unsuccessfully tried his hand at this, missing the first four games of his last season with the Chargers before ultimately playing without a deal. After rumors of Gordon turning down a four-year deal with the Bolts (that he rebuked at the time), Gordon had to settle for a two-year, $16 million contract from the Denver Broncos.
Fast forward four years later and Gordon is no longer in the NFL. And after years of poking fun at his former team and the fanbase, Gordon has admitted what Chargers fans knew all along: he regrets leaving (h/t "The Money Down Podcast").
Fans tried to tell you, my Dude... pic.twitter.com/BsjUgJvUtV
— Mayor of Boltsville (@Concudan) September 26, 2024
Melvin Gordon finally admits he regrets leaving the Chargers
Gordon explained how the perks of being a first-round pick no longer exist when a player signs with another team and that he had to prove himself even more on his new teams than he would have on the Chargers.
Of course, the missed earning potential probably factors into his regret, but that was not what the former Ohio State running back highlighted.
Gordon outwardly admitting this after everything he has been through with the Chargers and the fanbase is interesting. Fans were already sour on Gordon for how he handled his contract situation at the end of his tenure and he did not do himself any favors by taking a shot at the fanbase on his way out.
Heck, Gordon throwing barbs at the Chargers continued even after he left the Broncos and joined the Kansas City Chiefs. Gordon took a moment to dunk on us here at Bolt Beat for winning the Super Bowl with Kansas City (even if he did not play a single snap in the game itself).
It took a few years but Gordon finally admitted that the grass is not always greener on the other side. What he may not realize, though, is that the Chargers ended up in a better position because he left as they were able to pay Austin Ekeler far less to be on one of the best running backs in the NFL in his absence.
He too left the Chargers after a contract dispute and saw the fanbase turn on him in a similar way. Now we just have to wait until 2028 for Ekeler to come clean about his true feelings too.