Melvin Gordon could be reporting soon

[Bolt]

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It’s a Sunday Splash! on a Wednesday.

Adam Schefter of ESPN now reports that Chargers running back Melvin Gordon‘s “holdout could soon be coming to an end, though no final decisions have made when to report.” Schefter adds that Gordon “had planned to return at some point in October, but could soon be moving up his reporting date.”

Three days ago, we reiterated the basic facts and rules that apply to the lingering Gordon holdout. Under the Joey Galloway precedent (which as far as we can tell has never been mentioned by ESPN in this context even though the guy works there), Gordon needs to be on the roster for eight games to satisfy the final year of his contract and become a free agent.

Coupled with the team’s ability to utilize a roster exemption of up to three weeks, and given the timing of the team’s bye, this puts the ideal target at the period between Week Five and Week Six.

That’s what we wrote on Sunday morning: Gordon’s safest play will be to report after the Week Five game against the Broncos and before the Week Six game against the Steelers.

Maybe Gordon’s camp is finally getting their arms around the Galloway precedent. Maybe they were listening to the erroneous assessments of when he needed to report in order to become a free agent in 2020. Maybe they finally read the Galloway grievance ruling and realized that, as applied to the team’s schedule, he needs to show up in 12 days.

Regardless, it sounds like someone is finally waking up to the reality that, if Gordon wants to avoid having his contract toll for a year, the safest play will be to show up before Week Six.