Chargers RB Melvin Gordon holding out during training camp

July 24 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles Chargers will be without Melvin Gordon on the first day of training camp as the star running back is opting to hold out while seeking a new contract.

Gordon can be fined up to $40,000 for each day of camp he misses.

Gordon, 26, is playing on the final year of his rookie contract. Sources informed NFL Network and ESPN of Gordon's plan to be absent for the Chargers' first day of camp Wednesday at Jack Hammett Sports Complex in Costa Mesa, Calif.

The No. 15 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft had 885 yards and 10 touchdowns on 175 carries in 12 games last season. He also had a career-high 490 receiving yards and four scores on 50 catches in 2018. The two-time Pro Bowl selection missed four games due to injuries.

Gordon and the Chargers were involved in contract extension talks this off-season. He reported to mandatory minicamp in June. Gordon's agent, Damarius Bilbo, told NFL Network there was a strong possibility that his client could sit out during the regular season if he doesn't get a new deal.

"He's very serious [about holding out]," Bilbo said. "He's worked his butt off and the fifth-year option is a result of where he was drafted. It's what it is. But if we'd gotten a respectable offer, we wouldn't be here. But he felt disrespected. He's very serious."

Sources told NFL Network and ESPN in early July Gordon will demand a trade if he doesn't receive a new contract. Bilbo said Gordon received an offer from the team, but the terms wen't "fair" based on Gordon's performance and where he was drafted. Bilbo also called the offer "disrespectful."

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want a deal done," Gordon told reporters at minicamp. "But that's not going to stop me from coming out here and doing what I need to do. We're going to see. I would like to go out there and have it done. We're talking right now, and that's kind of where I'm going to leave it."

Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley is the highest-paid running back in the NFL, cashing in for an average of $14.3 million annually. Le'Veon Bell and David Johnson are also among the league's highest paid backs, cashing in for more than $13 million annually.

The Chargers battle the Arizona Cardinals in their first preseason game at 10 p.m. EDT Aug. 8 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.