NFL: RB Melvin Gordon says he intends to play somewhere in 2019

Holdout Melvin Gordon deserves an A-plus for his honesty but gets a D-minus for his negotiating skills. The Los Angeles Chargers running back, in an Instagram chat with his followers, confirmed reports that he does not intend to sit out the entire season, which gives his current team a stronger hand in their standoff over his salary wishes.

Had Gordon dropped hints earlier this year that he could pull a Le'Veon Bell and bypass the year, the Chargers might have upped their offer. But, suspecting he was eager to play to earn credit for a season leading into free agency, they did not come close to his demand for pay in the range of $13 million to $14 million, the tier for elite running backs.

The offer was a still-generous $10 million, a nice bump from the scheduled $5.6 mil he was due. But  he deemed it too low, so the team decided to roll with Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson. Their acceptable performances through two weeks have given Chargers management amnesia regarding Gordon, with talks stalled since just before the first game. The team maintains they would not be re-opened until the end of the season.

Gordon took to social media Wednesday and informed his fan club that "it would be a waste of talent" if he stayed idle until the 2020 season. If not the Chargers, he noted, Gordon is "going to play somewhere."

That could be wishful thinking. The Chargers granted Gordon's agent permission to seek a trade. No takers so far.

Unless injuries at his position around the league create job vacancies, Gordon could be backed into a corner with the Chargers. He might have no choice but to return at a pro-rated version of his original compensation.

Another Instagram comment, though based in truth, could not have endeared himself to management. He observed that last season for the team "was good, but nobody cared."

The reference was to attendance at L.A.'s temporary mini-stadium that was often dominated by backers of the visiting team. It's a sore subject to the Chargers, one rarely addressed to the public.

The Chargers are three-point home favorites Sunday  against the Houston Texans. 

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