Melvin Gordon Waived By The Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos have waived running back Melvin Gordon III, per Ian Rapoport, after fumbling in the red zone during the Broncos’ week 11 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
In the post-game press conference, Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett expressed that he wanted to see Gordon find the end zone in that scenario.
“He’s scored a lot of touchdowns down there for us … he’s had a lot of opportunities there and he’s scored a lot of touchdowns for us,” Hackett said Sunday. “In that situation, he has to be smart with it. He can’t fumble. He knows that you just can’t do that. That’s unacceptable. We have to find a way to get the ball in the end zone.” Quote via ESPN.
Gordon too acknowledged the consequences of his fumble against the Raiders.
“I was sick about it, obviously,” Gordon said after Sunday’s loss. “I kind of know what comes after that at this point. I shot my own self in the foot. I am a little salty because I was feeling it [Sunday]. That happened and I kind of knew that I was going to have to find a way to get back in rhythm. I knew it was going to be tough. I tried to make splashes here and there after it but my share of opportunities kind of dwindled after that, so that’s my fault.” Quote via ESPN.
Gordon’s 2022 season has been riddled with fumble issues. In total, the veteran running back fumbled five times in ten games. Outside of those issues, Gordon tallied 90 rushing attempts for 318 yards. He also added 25 catches and 223 yards in the passing game. In total, he found the end zone four times.
In his three seasons in Denver Gordon finished with 508 carries for 2,222 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Gordon’s season did not go as planned. In the offseason, he ensured he would compete with Javonte Williams in the Broncos’ running back battle. However, Williams tore his ACL and MCL in week 4 and was sidelined for the remainder of the season. Presumably, Gordon would become the lead back in Denver, but the Broncos signed Latavius Murray and acquired Chase Edmonds in the Bradley Chubb trade. As a result, Gordon saw a decrease in touches.
In wake of Gordon’s release, Murray will likely see the bulk of the carries in Denver. In week eleven he led the team with 17 carries. Outside of Murray, the Broncos will be limited with running back options. Currently, Edmonds is set to miss time with a high ankle sprain and Mike Boone is on injured reserve. The only other active running back on the Broncos roster is Marlon Mack.
