Los Angeles Chargers reportedly rebuff trade request from Melvin Gordon's agent

Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon is officially holding out and his absence from training camp has drawn plenty of attention in the early going. Things took an interesting turn on Aug. 1, however, as Josina Anderson of ESPN brings word that Gordon's agent, Damarius Bilbo, requested a trade on behalf of his client. From there, the Chargers reportedly rebuffed the advance, with GM Tom Telesco indicating that Bilbo "was not given permission to seek trade partners."

At this stage, the Chargers reportedly have an offer on the table for Gordon at around $10 million annually but, considering Gordon's holdout continues, his camp is seeking more of a financial commitment. Bilbo does have experience with clients seeking trades, having led Jarvis Landry through the process in Miami before landing in Cleveland, but the Chargers have tangible Super Bowl aspirations and that makes things even more interesting. 

Los Angeles currently faces 16-1 odds to win the Lombardi Trophy but, without Gordon, the task becomes tougher. He is set to earn more than $5 million for the 2019 season under his current deal before hitting free agency before the 2020 campaign but, for now, Gordon appears dead set on a new deal and he is seemingly on board with securing it elsewhere if necessary. 

With Gordon on the sideline, the Chargers are short-handed at the running back position. Austin Ekeler provides an intriguing element but, to this point, he has flourished in a supporting role that may not fully translate as a full-time starter. After that, Justin Jackson would be in line for a larger workload but, needless to say, Los Angeles simply can't put the same level of offense on the field without Gordon and, as such, he holds real leverage as talks continue.