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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Mark Wakefield

NFL star says he plays "worst position" and claims that's why he can't get new contract

NFL star Melvin Gordon has opened up on the struggles he is going through as a free agent this off-season.

Gordon was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs last year but was only part of their practice squad. Despite not playing a game for the AFC West team, the 30-year-old still managed to get his hands on a Super Bowl ring last season.

The running back was drafted by the San Diego, later Los Angeles, Charges in 2015 with the 15th overall pick. He went on to spend five years with the franchise before moving to the Denver Broncos in 2020.

Gordon’s career in the Mile High City would last a little under three seasons, before he would sign for the Chiefs in November 2022. He has not played a game in the NFL since featuring for the Broncos in a 22-16 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on November 21st last year.

After being released by the Chiefs at the end of last season, Gordon is still a free agent and in search of a new team. But the 30-year-old has admitted that he is finding it tough to get a contract offer, and claims that being a running back is currently the “worst position” in the NFL.

Gordon also spoke about the conversation he had with Chiefs head coach Andy Reid that led to him leaving the franchise. The running back insists that he is still determined to find a new team, with the 2023 regular season beginning in just over a couple of months' time.

"I still want to play. I still got some tread left on the tires," Gordon said on The Jim Rome Show . "Coach Reid kind of sat me down and he told me, 'You still can play.' It's about the right situation.

Melvin Gordon spent close to three seasons with the Denver Broncos before joining the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad in November 2022 (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

"It's so tough for running backs right now, man. You have a lot of running backs that's out there and we just don't get no love. It's literally the worst position to play in the NFL right now. It literally sucks.

“I'm just staying ready because I know what I can do. I know once I get in camp or any camp, I can turn some heads. I know what I need to do. I know my mistakes that I've made and you have to be able to correct them, but I'm ready to go.

"I'm just staying ready -- it's hard, though. It's hard training knowing that you're not gonna be on a team. It's tough mentally. But I talked to some players that went through it and I'm just taking their advice, being a sponge, and it kind of helps you get through it."

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