Kansas City Chiefs update status of wide receiver Josh Gordon

Josh Gordon was granted another chance by the NFL after an indefinite suspension, and now, the former All-Pro wide receiver will make his debut Sunday for the Chiefs.

The Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday named Gordon to their 53-man roster, according to multiple reports, just over one week after he signed with the franchise. He spent a week on the practice squad, getting situated and learning the playbook; now, the Baylor Bears product will get a call-up for Sunday night’s contest against the Buffalo Bills.

Well before his return with the Chiefs, Gordon was suspended indefinitely in December 2019 for violations of the league’s policies on substance abuse and performance-enhancing substances. That was Gordon’s sixth suspension since the 2013 season and his fifth related to substance abuse. He was reinstated by the NFL once in 2020, but the conditional reinstatement did not go as planned; he had a setback in his recovery, so Gordon was forced to wait until he was handed another reinstatement in 2020.

When active, Gordon has proven to be one of the NFL’s most lethal wide receivers, living up to the nickname “Flash.” During a seven-year NFL career in which he has started just 56 games, Gordon has hauled in 4,256 receiving yards on 247 catches, along with 20 receiving touchdowns. Perhaps most impressively, Gordon averages 17.2 yards per catch in his career, making him a deep-ball threat next to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Gordon’s best season came in his sophomore year, 2013, with the Cleveland Browns. He was the lone bright spot on a 4-12 Browns roster, catching 87 passes in 14 games for 1,646 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, including a 95-yard touchdown reception. Gordon, after averaging 117.6 receiving yards per game that season, was named a first team NFL All-Pro and a Pro Bowl selection.

Shortly after the breakout season, however, Gordon’s career was hampered by frequent suspensions, and his appearances became limited. In the following year, 2014, he faced a one-year suspension that he was able to get reduced to ten games. But after another violation, he was suspended indefinitely by the NFL. Gordon has been suspended a total of six times by the league, and the Chiefs are the fourth NFL team with whom he’s signed.

“He’s not playing this week,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said of Gordon before last week’s contest against the Eagles, revealing his intention to ease Gordon back into the lineup. “He’s getting himself ready — learning the playbook, doing the mental part and getting a little of the rust knocked off. You can tell he’s very talented. You guys have all seen him play before — I’m not telling you something you don’t know — but he is a talented football player.”