It's been just two days since he Los Angeles Chargers tabled contract extension talks with Melvin Gordon, but according to multiple reports, they've already commenced trade talks involving the star running back.
At least one team has had "preliminary communication" with the Chargers in an attempt to "vet out" a potential trade for the two-time Pro Bowler, ESPN's Josina Anderson said Tuesday. ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio suggested shortly afterward that L.A. has informed at least one team -- perhaps the same one -- that it's seeking a first- and fifth-round draft pick in exchange for Gordon.
Unlike Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, who's apparently set to get big bucks on his own holdout-spawned deal, Gordon seemingly no longer has a chance to sign a long-term agreement with the Chargers in 2019, as coach Anthony Lynn recently told reporters he's done talking about Gordon's contract and general manager Tom Telesco announced the team will not renegotiate his current deal until after the season. And with Gordon giving no indication that he intends to return to the club after skipping all of training camp and the preseason, it appears Los Angeles has begun to dangle the former first-rounder -- something Gordon himself said he would request if not for a new contract back in July.
As Florio noted, the Chargers' initial asking price is "not exactly the kind of price tag ... conducive to getting a deal done," especially since any team that acquires Gordon would presumably be on the hook for the more than $10 million per season the running back is seeking on his next contract. But the latest reports suggest Los Angeles is, in fact, willing to part with Gordon just four years after drafting him No. 15 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft.