Melvin Gordon saw the writing on the wall towards the end of last season.
Gordon, a veteran with two Pro Bowl appearances to his name, was half a backfield split equally. The other half of this duo, Javonte Williams, was the future.
Still, Gordon returned to Denver on a one-year contract in late April. And he’s not about to give up his share of the back-field workload just because he’s turning 30 in less than a year.
Gordon spoke to reporters Monday, explaining that he understands that most everyone expects him to “get in the back seat,” through Nick Athletic’s Nick Kosmider, but said he told Broncos general manager George Paton: “I’m not going to stretch” in a moment. training camp – or during the season, as the case may be – competition to wear.
In fact, last season there was no benchmark work in Denver, at least not statistically. Gordon was at the top of the depth chart, but he and Williams each finished with 203 carries. His output was similar as well, though Gordon took the 15-yard lead and twice as many quick touchdowns (eight) on Williams ’scoring trips (four).
That is likely to change in 2022. Nathaniel Hackett is now at the helm, and while he comes from a Packers team that was essentially reflected in Denver on how he distributed his products, Williams is the player Denver will want to get a heavier workload. The sophomore is already a fan favorite for his performance and should benefit from playing on offense with Russell Wilson and a cast of talented and capable game creators.
Gordon came back because Denver still sees a role for him. Maybe he should fight for a bigger one in 2022 if he wants to resist Father Time’s influence on a team’s depth chart.