Getty Denver Broncos RB Melvin Gordon walking off the field after fumbling against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Denver Broncos made a big move as they waived running back Melvin Gordon after another horrific game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Sources: The #Broncos make a move following Sunday’s loss, as Denver has waived veteran RB Melvin Gordon. A respected player who spent 3 years with the Broncos, Gordon’s fumbles proved too much. A fresh start for all parties.
Right before half time, the Broncos were inside the five-yard line ready to score a touchdown to potentially go up 17-7 heading into half time. Instead, Gordon fumbled the ball before he went into the endzone. The ball was recovered by right guard Quinn Meinerz forcing the Broncos to attempt a 25-yard field goal.
When McManus kicked the short field goal, it was blocked by Raiders defensive lineman Maxx Crosby, keeping the game to just 10-7 at half time.
After the game, Gordon talked to the media and talked about the fumble, “It’s not like we didn’t recover the ball.” Gordon continued saying that his teammates were not “too pissed.”
Because Denver was unable to capitalize and score points on that drive, the Broncos would eventually lose the game in overtime.
“We still had two quarters left, still had a chance to get points after that. It wasn’t the end of the world,” Gordon said.
This was Gordon’s second fumble of the season against the Raiders that cost the Broncos points.
“He’s a true pro, he’s done a lot of good stuff here. We thought it was best for the team and we moved on and wish him the best of luck, think it’s great for him to have a fresh start,” Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett said Monday.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, any team claiming Melvin Gordon off waivers would take on the rest of his one-year contract, including $836,111 in fully guaranteed base salary and $102,941 in per-game active roster bonuses.
Gordon is averaging just 31.8 rushing yards per game this season and has scored only two touchdowns.
Melvin Gordon’s Fumbling Issues
The former Pro Bowl running back has had a history for fumbling the football in his career. In his five years with the Chargers, Gordon fumbled a total of 14 times.
During his 41 games with the Broncos, Gordon put the ball on the ground 12 times and nine of those fumbles were recovered by the opposing team.
So far this season, the former Wisconsin Badger fumbled the ball a total of five times and it was the timing of the fumbles that made the situation worse.
On opening night, Gordon fumbled against the Seattle Seahawks near the goal line while trying to score on fourth-down. Gordon then fumbled twice against the San Francisco 49ers in which Denver recovered both times and then he fumbled on his first carry in Las Vegas when the Broncos were closing in on field goal range. During that game, the Raiders returned his fumble back for a touchdown making it a nine-point swing.
Of his last seven fumbles with the Broncos, three of them have been returned for a touchdown from the opposing team.
Even in the passing game, Gordon has struggled catching the ball. While with the Broncos, Gordon has averaged three drops per season.
Gordon became a liability for Denver and it took them 11 weeks of this season to realize that he shouldn’t be carrying the ball for them moving forward.
What’s Next for the Broncos RB Room?
With Gordon officially out of the fold, Denver has Latavius Murray as their starting running back.
Murray is now the team’s leading rusher with 209 yards in just five games and leads the team in rushing touchdowns with three.
The Broncos will also activate Marlon Mack off their practice squad after Denver claimed him off the San Francisco 49ers practice squad. Denver acquired Mack back in October to add some depth after the Broncos lost running back Mike Boone to an ankle injury.
Boone is eligible to come off injured reserve in Week 13.
Mack has yet to appear in a game for the Broncos this season, but he’ll be activated this week, per Hackett.
Denver will also call up Devine Ozigbo from the practice squad to play as the No. 3 running back against the Carolina Panthers this week.
The Broncos were also hit by the injury bug in the running back room with Chase Edmonds suffering a high ankle sprain against the Raiders in Week 11. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Edmonds will be out a few weeks.
Broncos’ RB Chase Edmonds suffered a high-ankle sprain Sunday and now is expected to miss “a few weeks”, per source.
So no Edmonds in a backfield that has parted ways with Melvin Gordon, too.
Against Carolina, Murray will be the only active running back that has scored a touchdown this season for the Broncos.
With the Denver offense struggling in the passing game, the Broncos will need to their rushing attack to step up and help balance out the offense.
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Broncos Move on From 2-Time Pro Bowler: Report