Gordon's Debut Will Wait at Least a Week

The veteran wide receiver says he has enjoyed practices under coach Mike Vrabel. He won't be added to the roster for Sunday's game against the New York Giants.

NASHVILLE – Josh Gordon won’t be on the Tennessee Titans’ 53-man roster for Sunday’s season opener, but the talented wide receiver is already getting a taste of what it’s like to play for this team.

The man who made the biggest impression on Gordon during his first full week as a practice-squad player? That would be coach Mike Vrabel.

“He’s as intense as they come,” Gordon said. “I think that’s what works best for me, and I think for everybody. A lot of people get clear, black-and-white communication. You know what to do, so you know where you’re at. You know where you stand.”

The Titans signed Gordon to the practice squad Sept. 1, a day after they placed second-year receiver Racey McMath on injured reserve.

A second-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in the NFL’s Supplemental Draft of 2012, Gordon totaled 87 catches for a league-high 1,646 yards as well as nine touchdowns in 2013, earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in the process.

He has never caught more than 41 passes or had more than 737 yards in a season since. Gordon has been suspended by the NFL six times during that stretch and missed three full seasons (2015, 2016 and 2020) as a result.

This season Gordon spent training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs, who released him when NFL teams trimmed their rosters to 53 players.

It’s been a quick transition to Nashville and the Titans, but he says he’s enjoyed the experience so far.

“I’ve been getting integrated into the environment, so it’s been really receptive and obviously they set the tone with how hard we practice here,” Gordon said. “I’m used to that, so it’s good to see that.

“The coach is alive and well here in Nashville, so the heat’s been high and the intensity and competitive nature has been full tilt. So I’m appreciative for that.”

Since the Browns traded him in 2018, Gordon has suited up for three teams – New England, Seattle and Kansas City. He says the experiences of playing in different offenses have helped quicken the learning curve with the Titans.

“I think like anywhere, it’s going to take a little bit of time, but fortunately and surprisingly, I’ve retained a lot of it,” Gordon said. “I think it’s because of the amount of teams I played for, so (it’s been) very familiar, more so that I thought. It’s a real comfortable feeling, especially at this point in the season. I’m grateful for that and hopefully it translates come game time and practice.”

The Titans’ hope is that the 6-foot-3, 224-pound Gordon – who’s averaged 17.0 yards on his 252 career receptions – might eventually become a speedy deep threat for the team.

It’s one step at a time, of course.

“The biggest challenge for me, moving from team to team, is working on `Where do you fit in within the team dynamic,’” Gordon said. “So from the aspect of, `Can you get along seamlessly? How well do you work with the team?’

“Trying to find that every day, you know, with the quarterback and the running back – just seeing what the tempo is, what’s the energy, being on the same page mentally.”

Offensive coordinator Todd Downing said the team is still in an introductory stage with Gordon.

“He seems like a good guy,” Downing said Thursday. “Haven’t seen him out there a lot in terms of our snaps just yet. But he’s progressing each day, getting used to the way we do things around here.

“Shoot, the guy is just getting our schedule and practice routine down right now, so we’re in the early stages of that. But we’re glad to have him around.”