Getty Former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Josh Gordon with the Tennessee Titans.
A familiar face was given an opportunity in yesterday’s Monday Night Football outing on September 19 — former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Josh Gordon.
The last Chiefs Kingdom heard from Gordon, he had rejected a practice squad offer from KC in favor of the Tennessee Titans. It wasn’t necessarily a huge loss for head coach Andy Reid considering the former All-Pro only caught five receptions for 32 yards in 2021, but the organization did make it clear that they wanted the veteran back if he was willing.
Instead, he went somewhere he felt he might find more reps and to his credit, the Titans gave him an early taste of NFL action in Week 2.
Ex-Chiefs WR Josh Gordon Elevated for Monday Night Game
NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported that Gordon would be elevated from the practice squad earlier in the afternoon on Monday ahead of Tennessee’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
The #Titans are elevating WR Josh Gordon from the practice squad for tonight’s game against the #Bills, his agent @ZacHiller tells me.
“Josh just needs opportunities to prove that he’s still the incredible player and talent he’s always been,” Hiller said.
Pelissero also relayed a message from Gordon’s agent, Zac Hiller, who voiced: “Josh just needs opportunities to prove that he’s still the incredible player and talent he’s always been.”
Unfortunately, his primetime performance proved the opposite — that the former superstar’s greatness could be a thing of the past. According to Pro Football Focus, Gordon logged 18 offensive snaps during his first game as a Titan. He was targeted once and did not catch the passing attempt. He was graded at 46.4 on PFF with a 61.2 run-blocking score and he was also flagged for a penalty.
This is very reminiscent of Gordon’s tenure in Kansas City, and you have to think that if he was unable to revive his career with Patrick Mahomes, there’s less chance of that with Ryan Tannehill.
To add insult to injury, the Titans ended up getting blown out on national television by a score of 41-7.
Chiefs Made the Correct Decision on Josh Gordon
Gordon was a tough cut to some, but most saw his release as a necessary outcome. The Chiefs had a promising wide receiver competition throughout training camp and there was no room for a fading talent like “Flash.”
A Chiefs analyst by the name of Matt Stagner actually joked that Gordon’s 2022 success would mean the KC rebuild had failed this summer.
“If Josh Gordon is a 1,000-yard receiver this year,” Stagner began, “if he is the guy in this room – that means that the entire Chiefs offseason around rebuilding this wide receiver position and trading away Tyreek Hill, and going out and investing in several other receivers has been a complete and total failure if 31-year-old Josh Gordon is your guy — Skyy Moore failed, Mecole Hardman failed, JuJu Smith-Schuster failed, [Marquez Valdes-Scantling] failed.”
Gordon then followed those comments up with a lackluster showing during the preseason.
Mahomes has spread the ball around in his absence, linking up with five different wideouts as well as three tight ends and three running backs (including fullback Michael Burton) in two games. Outside of Travis Kelce, no pass-catcher has surpassed 100 yards receiving so far.
The current leader at the position is free-agent acquisition JuJu Smith-Schuster, who has 89 receiving yards off 11 targets (nine catches). Gordon was beaten out by players like Justin Watson and Mecole Hardman for a roster spot — as well as rookie Skyy Moore. Each brings unique abilities to the table on both offense and special teams.