Melvin Gordon will play in 2019, it's just a matter of who he suits up for.
Speaking in a video chat Tuesday with his Instagram followers, per ESPN.com, the Chargers running back insisted he's "going to play somewhere" this season and that "it would be a waste of talent" if he didn't.
Gordon has yet to take the field because of his contract holdout and the team gave him permission to seek out trade partners last month. Still, he said last week he believes the Chargers aren't actually willing to move him.
"This is not a Le'Veon Bell situation," one source close to the situation told ESPN. "He still wants to be a Charger. But he's got to protect himself."
For Gordon to be allowed to play this season and qualify for free agency in 2020, he must report to the team by Week 10 in November. That means he would play on his fifth-year option, which will net him a base salary of $5.6 million.
Gordon, a first-round pick in the 2015 draft, is set to become a free agent in 2020 and reportedly is seeking a new deal that would pay him at least $10 million a year.
The Chargers are asking for at least a future first-round pick in exchange for the Pro Bowl player and have reportedly already turned down an offer from the Eagles that included running back Jordan Howard.
Gordon, 26, averaged 5.1 yards per carry as he rushed for 885 yards for 10 touchdowns last season while adding 490 receiving yards for four touchdowns.