Does NFL Have a “Holdout Culture”?

Melvin Gordon and Ezekiel Elliott are current examples. 

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Two NFL running backs, Melvin Gordon and Ezekiel Elliott, are holding out for larger contracts. What’s prompting those decisions?

Let’s start with Gordon. In early July, reports said that he wouldn’t report to training camp unless offered a new contract. Gordon demanded a trade if he wasn’t given a new deal.

Le ’Veon Bell, who held out last year, said, “I’m proud of him … I feel he knows his worth.” Gordon, like Bell, stands to lose a lot of money by holding out. But, unlike Bell, he’d have to play this year to hit free agency.

Last year, Bell lost out on a $14.5 million franchise tag and also turned down a five year, $70 million offer. This year (via free agency), Bell is guaranteed $6 million this year with the Jets.

The Chargers have offered Gordon $10 million a year, which he won’t take…at least not yet. He wants $13 million instead. With a standstill in place, many insiders say that Gordon’s holdout could extend into Week 1–if he remains a Charger, that is.

Do stats justify Gordon’s holdout? A 2015 first-round pick, Gordon has played 16 games only once in four seasons and has hit the 1000-yard mark only once, too. Do those numbers suggest that the oft-injured Gordon isn’t worth what he’s asking? Not really. He’s a big part of LAC’s offense. Having said that, Chargers do seem comfortable with replacement Austin Ekeler.

After seeing how the Bell matter turned out, my take is that Gordon is hurting himself by sitting out. It’s not just a money issue, either. It’s also how NFL GMs will look at Gordon should he go back on the market.

Is Elliott a different case? Well, for starters, Elliott is a durable player, having missed only eight of 48 games over three NFL seasons. The challenge for Elliott is off-field situations, including a domestic violence incident and an altercation with a security guard.

On the field, though, Elliott has been a fantastic player. He led the league in rushing his rookie year and added to his repertoire by becoming a more-than-respectable receiver out of the backfield. Those reasons are why he wants a new contract, saying that he doesn’t want to be paid less than the Rams.’ The Rams’ star is averaging about $14 million through a contract extension worked out last year.

Bell

After Zeke turned down a $13 million offer from the ‘Boys, Dallas ownership continued to believe a deal would be worked out eventually. Team owner Jerry Jones said: “I’m optimistic that we can get Zeke’s deal done, but we’re gonna play football one way or the other.”

But after rookie Tony Pollard gained 42 yards on five carries with a touchdown, Jones reportedly told a reporter, “Zeke who?” Elliott’s camp felt that was a disrespectful response, but Jones brushed it off, saying that he had “earned the right to joke with Zeke.”

He has rushed for 1000+ years in two of his three NFL seasons and has averaged 100+ yards a game during his NFL career.

History is also on Elliott’s side, too. Hall-of-Famer Emmitt Smith held out in 1993, a no-play decision that extended two weeks into the season. The Cowboys reneged partly because Smith’s replacement wasn’t getting the job done.

Everything said, do I think these backs will continue to sit out, perhaps going as far as Bell did last year? I don’t think so. Gordon and Elliott have both expressed a desire to return to their respective teams. At issue is finding a settling place that gives them what they think they’re worth and doesn’t break the bank.

More and more players want to be the highest-paid at their respective position. Consider other examples, including Washington’s Trent Williams and the Texans’ JaDeveon Clowney.

Let’s face it. Holdouts aren’t anything new, either in football or other sports. And they aren’t going away anytime soon.