After suffering another heartbreaking defeat, the unraveling Denver Broncos waived veteran running back Melvin Gordon on Monday.
Ball security had been an issue for Gordon during his tenure with the Broncos. In the waning seconds of the first half in the team’s Week 11 home game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Gordon fumbled on a 3rd-and-1 play from the opponent’s three-yard line.
Though the Broncos recovered the fumble, Brandon McManus’ ensuing 25-yard attempt was blocked. The lack of points on that drive proved to be costly, as Denver went on to lose 22-16 in overtime.
After Gordon was waived, a fan posted a compilation of every Gordon fumble during his tenure with the Broncos. To get an idea of how many fumbles there were, let’s just say the entire video lasts 2:20.
The Broncos were planning to use second-year back Javonte Williams as their lead runner for 2022. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL in the team’s Week 4 loss to the Raiders, ending a promising season abruptly.
Gordon was unable to fill the void with Williams out for the season, however. He was largely outplayed by journeyman Latavius Murray, who has 209 rushing yards and three touchdowns (more than Gordon’s two) on 63 carries.
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Gordon’s final year with the Broncos saw him record 318 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 90 carries. He fumbled four times, losing two of them.
The No. 15 selection of the 2015 NFL Draft joined the Broncos on a two-year pact in 2020 free agency. It proved to be a savvy signing for Denver, as Gordon surpassed the 900-yard rushing mark in both 2020 and 2021.
But practically nothing has gone right for the Broncos, who are headed towards a seventh straight non-playoff season. Gordon’s miscue was the final straw for an organization that has been arguably football’s biggest disappointment of 2022.
