The Chargers officially exercised Gordon's fifth-year contract option Wednesday.
Gordon's mark of 3.9 yards per carry last season doesn't jump off the page, but he did rank among the league leaders in volume, rushing 284 times and snaring 58 passes. Only Le'Veon Bell, LeSean McCoy and Todd Gurley handled more touches than Gordon, who had minimal help late in the season after Austin Ekeler suffered a broken left hand. The Chargers didn't invest much in their backfield during the draft or free agency, merely adding seventh-round pick Justin Jackson. Given the likelihood of another large workload this upcoming season, Gordon probably doesn't mind having his 2019 salary guaranteed for injury under the terms of the fifth-year option. This does, however, give the Chargers some leverage in negotiations on a contract extension, as the fifth-year option salary will probably look like a modest bargain if Gordon makes it through 2018 relatively unscathed.