Melvin Gordon reflects on ‘difficult’ first season with Broncos, says he’s ‘sick’ of getting overlooked

Melvin Gordon came to Denver last season as a Pro Bowl running back in the prime of his career. But sharing the backfield with fan-favorite running back in Phillip Lindsay, coupled with a crucial fumble in a season-opening loss, made it hard to fit in with the Broncos.

Add to that a lack off-field bonding time with his new teammates due to COVID-19 restrictions and a DUI arrest that hung over his head all season and the 2020 campaign was one to forget for the 2015 first-round pick of the Chargers.

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"It was probably one of my most difficult seasons. I am not going to lie. Just 'cause a lot of fans and a lot of people weren’t too happy with me coming in and Phil wanting to get paid and everything like that," he told Denver 7 TV in an exclusive interview.

"I was like, 'Look man, I had no parts in that.' I wanted to be here, and they wanted me to be here. It was a mutual thing and it kind of just happened. It was tough, man, because I felt like a lot of people didn’t accept me."

In his first season with the Broncos, Melvin Gordon rushed for 986 yards and nine touchdowns. (Photo: Isaiah J. Downing, USA TODAY Sports)

Off the field, he was pulled over for speeding on October 13 and cited for driving under the influence. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving, while the DUI charges were dismissed in March due to evidentiary concerns. 

Gordon moved past his slow start on the field and ended up rushing for 986 yards, averaging nearly five yards per carry over the final eight games of the season. He also led the Broncos with 10 touchdowns, nine rushing and one receiving. 

With Lindsay moving on as a free agent, Gordon is now the clear No. 1 back on the depth chart. He said the opportunity to prove himself again offers plenty of motivation for the upcoming season. 

"It’s not like being the '1' is something I am not used to. I was that pretty much my whole time with the Chargers. It's not like I am going into unfamiliar territory," he said. "But I get overlooked a lot and I am kind of sick of it."

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