After getting benched and poor social media likes, Gordon rewarded with start

Apparently, Melvin Gordon is still in the good graces of Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett.

Just days after getting benched against the Chargers, pouting on the sidelines and liking tweets suggesting he should be traded, Gordon is back. Hackett announced during his press conference on Wednesday that the embattled running back will start against the Jets this Sunday.

Nathaniel Hackett said Melvin Gordon will start Sunday at running back.

Said the two had a discussion about the veteran’s role on Tuesday, but said the contents of the conversation will kept private.

— Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) October 19, 2022

It’s an odd move, to say the least. After Hackett showed he didn’t get it on Tuesday with his answers to questions about Gordon’s behavior, he’s doubling down and giving him another chance. How many strikes will this guy get? Not to mention Gordon’s rampant fumbling issue that already cost the Broncos one game this season.

Against Los Angeles, new running back Latavius Murray was actually pretty solid. He carried the ball 15 times for 66 yards, good for an average of 4.4 yards per carry. Gordon had just three attempt for eight yards before getting benched.

Again, rewarding Gordon with a start after everything that has gone down seems like a bad strategy. What message does it send to the rest of the locker room? If guys complain enough the head coach will cave and give them their way?

This could blow up in Hackett’s face, but he’s already on seemingly thin ice. If he wants to tie his tenure in Denver to Gordon, then good luck with that. We’ll see how it works out.

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