Setting Expectations for Josh Gordon as a Chief

How much should the team and its fans expect from the former All-Pro wideout?

In case you missed it, newly-reinstated wide receiver Josh Gordon is now a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. The former Cleveland Browns standout is now on his fourth team, as his stops with the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks didn't quite work out. With that said, they weren't for on-field reasons. Gordon is a supremely talented player who is now 30 years old and being given another chance in the NFL. The Arrowhead Report crew gathered to outline their expectations for Gordon in Kansas City. 

Jordan Foote: Gordon, an All-Pro in 2013, is over half a decade removed from playing his best football. The Chiefs don't need that level of production from him, though. If he's still explosive, this has the potential to be a bargain find by Brett Veach. Gordon is a boundary option who can beat press coverage and win in one-on-one situations, something the Chiefs don't have a ton of outside of Travis Kelce. With the trio of Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson, having produced mixed results to this point in the season, adding Gordon into the fold presents the distant possibility of Patrick Mahomes having a decent No. 2 option at the wide receiver position. 

Conner Christopherson: The idea of Josh Gordon is probably going to be more fascinating than how the Josh Gordon experience will end up in practice. Gordon has had some good years recently, like 2018 and 2019, but he is 30 and has not played football in two years. It has been apparent, however, that no wide receiver on the Chiefs roster is up to the task to take a large amount of pressure off of Tyreek Hill on the outside and this move is at least a step in the right direction. Low risk, high-reward will be the phrase bandied about when talking about this signing, and it is apt.

Mark Van Sickle: Josh Gordon hasn’t done much in the league since bursting on the scene with the Browns in 2012/2013 before his first of a series of suspensions related to failed drug tests. He was one of the most explosive receivers in his first few seasons in the league, and he still looked decent with the Patriots and Seahawks when given the chance. He hasn’t put a ton of wear and tear on his body, so he could still have a few years of good football left in him even though he is now 30 years old. This is a low-risk, high-reward move for the Chiefs who are giving Mahomes another toy to play with in an offense that can already score a lot of points.

Jacob Harris: I look forward to Gordon looking really good in practice but inexplicably not getting any real chances in games until next year.

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