The ongoing Josh Gordon saga continues. The former All-Pro wide receiver has officially been reinstated by the NFL and is eligible to sign with a team. In the least surprising news of the week, Gordon is expected to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Josh Gordon to Sign With Chiefs
Heading into the 2021 season, the Chiefs rebuilt their offensive line and looked ready to compete for another Super Bowl. The only true area of weakness that some analysts criticized them for was their WR2. While Tyreek Hill as a lead wide receiver is dangerous for many reasons, some felt Mecole Hardman was not talented enough to be a WR2. Hardman, rightfully so, was offended and motivated to prove doubters wrong.
While Hardman may not have proved much wrong, he also hasn’t looked like a fish out of water out there. The Josh Gordon Chiefs signing should not be viewed as a dig at Hardman, but rather them looking to build a receiving corps on par with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
How Good is Josh Gordon Still?
This is the golden question. We last saw Gordon during the 2019 season, where he played for the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. Playing in five games for the Seahawks, he caught just seven passes for 139 yards.
While his All-Pro 2013 season looks long gone, Gordon is only 30 years old and his body hasn’t taken many hits. Well, on the football field. If there’s any coach in the NFL that can get something out of Gordon, it’s Andy Reid. Having Patrick Mahomes throwing him the football while defenses also try to cover Hill and Travis Kelce also doesn’t hurt.
Expectations should be set low for Gordon. Still, we know how good he can be at his absolute best. Assuming he stays out of trouble, look for Gordon to contribute to a team that needs to start winning some games.
From a fantasy football perspective, he is an interesting pick-up in deeper leagues. If you’re willing to keep a player like Hardman on your bench, you shouldn’t value Gordon much lower than that, given the upside he possesses.
