Melvin Gordon suffers knee injury against Cardinals

Melvin Gordon has been a key part of the Los Angeles Chargers success in 2018, so they cannot afford to lose him for a significant period of time, especially with the playoffs looming.

With a 7-3 record, the Los Angeles Chargers have been one of the NFL’s most impressive teams in 2018, even if they’ve been overshadowed by Patrick Mahomes and the stellar Kansas City Chiefs within their own division.

Unfortunately, the Chargers may have been dealt a blow in Week 12, as Melvin Gordon, one of the best running backs in the NFL, suffered a knee injury. He was listed as questionable to return after suffering the injury in the third quarter, and Chargers fans can only hope that he’s OK.

The star running back has been a crucial part of Los Angeles’s success this season, as he’s run for 741 yards with an additional 448 yards of receiving through nine full games. That means Gordon entered the Chargers’ Week 12 game against the Arizona Cardinals averaging a whopping 132.1 yards from scrimmage per game. A fantasy football beast, Gordon also had 11 total touchdowns in those nine appearances.

Gordon was off to a fantastic start against the Cardinals, too, scoring two touchdowns on the ground through three quarters with 61 yards on 10 carries and a pair of receptions. The Chargers jumped out to a 42-10 lead, with Rivers setting an NFL record by completing each of his first 23 passes with three touchdowns of his own.

Before the game, Gordon was considered 50/50 to play with hamstring and knee injuries, but he ultimately received the green light from the Chargers. While Gordon was excellent on the ground, the Chargers did give plenty of carries and targets to backup running back Austin Ekeler, who has quietly excelled behind Gordon this season.

If Gordon misses any amount of time, such as the Chargers Week 13 shootout against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a critical AFC playoff preview game, Ekeler is a must-own in fantasy leagues. Against the Cardinals shoddy run defense, Ekeler ran for 35 yards and a touchdown on just five carries and had a whopping 10 receptions on 11 targets through the third quarter. Ekeler is just as well-rounded as Gordon, and he’s nearly as capable of punching the ball into the end zone.

Keep an eye out for more updates on Gordon’s status, since a questionable tag due to a knee injury is difficult to get a read on, especially since Gordon did come into the game injured. Hopefully the Chargers are just keeping things cautious, and with a playoff spot essentially locked up and a capable backup in Ekeler, there’s no reason for Los Angeles to risk things by rushing MG3 back too soon.