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- Mar 19, 2019
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The cast of characters is obviously different in Chargers camp.
But the guys getting their chances in the absence of holdout running back Melvin Gordon know their approach has to be the same.
While Gordon’s still in search of the kind of payday the Chargers don’t seem inclined to give him, Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson are getting used to carrying a heavier load.
“I mean, even if he was here, we have the same mentality,” Ekeler said of Gordon, via the Associated Press. “If he’s here, we still have to move forward. If he’s not here, we still have to move forward.”
Ekeler ran five times for 40 yards in the preseason opener, but lost a fumble. Jackson ran five times for 22 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers aren’t bad (other than the fumble, fumbles are bad), but they’re obviously not the same without Gordon.
At the moment, no one knows whether or when Gordon might show up, so they have to say all the right things.
“I don’t know that scenario. Like I said, we miss Melvin,” offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said. “I think Melvin’s a hell of a football player, but we’re working with the guys that are here and they’re doing a nice job.”
And unless the performances get markedly worse, Gordon doesn’t seem to be gaining any more leverage.