Chargers coach Anthony Lynn doesn’t sound particularly worried about Melvin Gordon’s holdout.
Lynn said he likes the 1-2 punch of Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson at running back and thinks they both bring plenty to the offense.
“I’ve always used those guys as a tandem,” Lynn said, via ESPN. “That’s not going to change. We’re going to put guys in good positions to do what they do best.”
Gordon is a former first-round pick holding out for more money than the $5.6 million base salary he’s set to make this season. Ekeler is a former undrafted free agent who makes $645,000 (the league minimum for a third-year player) while Jackson is a former seventh-round pick who makes $570,000 (the league minimum for a second-year player). If Ekeler and Jackson can fill in adequately for Gordon, while making far less money, it’s going to be awfully hard for Gordon to convince the Chargers to give him the contract he wants.