Nathaniel Hackett on Melvin Gordon: ‘He’s a spectacular running back’
Some Denver Broncos fans (and many fantasy football managers) want to see the team turn the backfield over to Javonte Williams.
Melvin Gordon has made it clear that he’s going to fight for the starting job, though, and the Broncos have made it clear that they plan to use a two-back rotation. Neither Williams nor Gordon will dominate the touches in 2022.
Nathaniel Hackett, who used two running backs while serving as the Green Bay Packers’ offensive coordinator, is now Denver’s head coach and he’s spoken very highly of Gordon this offseason.
“He’s a spectacular running back and he’s been a great running back in this league for a long time,” Hackett said on June 13. “You can’t have too many good running backs at that position. He’s a powerful runner downhill and at the same time, he has the speed to be able to stretch it in the outside zone. We’re happy to have him and happy to integrate him in.”
As Hackett noted, Gordon’s been a productive running back for several years now. The 29-year-old veteran has totaled 8,388 yards from scrimmage and scored 67 touchdowns over the last seven seasons.
Gordon drew interest from other teams as a free agent this spring but he opted to re-sign with the Broncos after the team acquired star quarterback Russell Wilson. Gordon knows the team might be on the verge of turning things around, and he wants to be part of the equation.
“To be a part of something special — which is what I think we’re trying to build here — would be [great] because obviously the ultimate goal made on Day 1 since we started playing ball as kids is to hold that Lombardi Trophy up,” Gordon said. “That’s the goal and the mindset, and we have to do whatever it takes to get there.”
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