When Josh Gordon got reinstated by the NFL last September and signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, there was a wide range of expectations for the veteran wide receiver. Some expected very little, some expected moderate contributions and others had high hopes for him.
Nearly 11 months since that original acquisition, the latter two groups are likely feeling very disappointed.
Gordon took a while to get back into football shape and adjust to the Chiefs' offense last season, and he had just five receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown in 12 games with the club. He was also a healthy scratch during multiple points during the team's playoff run earlier this calendar year, which didn't seem to bode well for his future. Despite that, the Chiefs re-signed Gordon on a reserve/futures contract and brought him back for the 2022 campaign.
Throughout training camp and into the preseason, Kansas City's wide receiver picture has become clearer and clearer. The top four (in some order) of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mecole Hardman and Skyy Moore can be etched in stone. Justin Watson is converting hype into production, and he's a likely candidate to be the team's fifth wideout on the depth chart. If head coach Andy Reid lobbies for a sixth receiver, as is expected, that spot is seemingly up for grabs.
Even with an opportunity ahead of him, Gordon is going to need quite a bit of help in order to capitalize and save his Chiefs — and possibly NFL — career.
The current favorite for the WR6 role seems to be Daurice Fountain, who's already battled in a training camp, impressed and managed to come out on the other side with a roster spot. He did so a year ago, after all. Reid says he's getting more comfortable within the offense, too. Fountain also has the ability to play special teams, and the fact that he didn't have to do so in the Chiefs' opening preseason game could mean good things about how the club feels about him. Fountain hauled in all three of his targets against the Chicago Bears, so writing his name on a 53-man roster projection in pencil seems like a wise call.
Cornell Powell, the Chiefs' 2020 fifth-round pick, is also looking to make an impact. The 24-year-old was targeted four times in Chicago and while he had a dropped pass, he did record three catches in the process. Additionally, he logged the third-most snaps among all Chiefs wideouts against the Bears (23) and played a wideout-high 10 special teams snaps. Powell's job security is unclear, but he's getting an extended opportunity to make the team for the first time.
Gordon was targeted three times in preseason game No. 1, yet he didn't come away with a catch. He had a pair of poorly-placed balls thrown his way on the sideline but despite getting his hands on them and bringing them in, he couldn't get his feet in bounds to complete either catch. The potential final nail in Gordon's coffin: he doesn't play special teams. On the fringe of the Chiefs' roster, special teams coordinator Dave Toub oftentimes influences the final spot at positions such as safety, cornerback, linebacker or wide receiver. It's impossible for Gordon to have that good standing on special teams. In order to stick, he has to stand out on offense.
Reports on Gordon from the final handful of Chiefs training camp practices have been positive, but that only goes so far. At a certain point, training camp production needs to turn into preseason production. Gordon has yet to reach that point. In order to save his roster spot, a positive performance against the Washington Commanders is absolutely necessary. If that doesn't happen, an already bleak situation could somehow look even worse.
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