Can Josh Gordon Maintain Serviceable Role In Kansas City Offense?

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After being reinstated by the NFL once again, Josh Gordon made his way to the Kansas City Chiefs. This came just a few weeks into the 2021 regular season, as he initially joined the team’s practice squad. For a team that appeared to be lacking in wide receiver depth most of the season, this felt like a tremendous opportunity for both the team and the player.

There were many reasons as to why that appeared to be the case. From a team perspective, Kansas City was lacking a player who could consistently win underneath routes with power, physicality and size. They had somewhat relied on Sammy Watkins to provide that role in the past few seasons. Meanwhile, Gordon has a unique athletic profile, given his size. His history of being a vertical threat also appealed to the Chiefs.

From the perspective of Josh Gordon, he was able to join a pass-happy offense with a top-flight quarterback in Patrick Mahomes. The chances were going to funnel through eventually, if he got more comfortable in the offense. Gordon was looking to secure either the WR2 or WR3 role on the depth chart. However, a lack of improvement and consistency led to him being a healthy scratch late in the season. Gordon was subsequently waived by the Chiefs during the postseason, to boot, before being re-signed to the practice squad.

Was last season a missed opportunity for Josh Gordon? Could you say the same thing about the Chiefs in this particular situation? On the other hand, no one was expecting Gordon to be what he was in his prime with the Cleveland Browns. 2022 allows him a new chance within the Kansas City offense. The new-look Chiefs offense may be set up more suitably for him this year. If so, can Josh Gordon maintain a serviceable role in the KC offense?

Will Possible Kansas City Offensive Change Help Gordon?

From the outside, no one truly knows what the new-look offense will look like in Kansas City this year. How will the passing game operate with four newly projected wide receivers at the top of the depth chart? Can the Chiefs run a more balanced attack, while leaning more on the run game in certain situations? Or, does Andy Reid largely design things the same way, and the team proves it can win the same way with new faces?

There is likely some type of shift to the passing attack. A greater focus on vertical passing could do Kansas City wonders, based on how teams have defended them lately. Meanwhile, the increased emphasis of the play-action passing game from under center suits many of the new pieces tremendously, especially with a passer like Mahomes.

So, how does this possible new offensive gameplan favor Josh Gordon and his chances in 2022? For one, his target share could increase in certain situations. Without Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs will have to spread the ball around thoroughly to their wide receivers to keep opponents honest. Gordon’s ability to separate underneath, while also getting on top of defensive backs quickly, may also be aided by a more balanced Chiefs offense.

Does Gordon Have Role Secured?

While the possible shift in offensive philosophy could be a positive sign, there is no guarantee that Josh Gordon already has a role secured. You could arguably say that four wide receivers have a spot locked up atop the 2022 depth chart. They must still go out and earn it in training camp. Though, those four names in some way, shape, or form appear to be JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore and Mecole Hardman.

Beyond that, there are many worthy candidates looking to battle it out for the last spot or two. Some of those players are veterans looking to find a career renaissance (i.e. Corey Coleman, Justin Watson). Elsewhere, there are some younger options that are looking to finally stick somewhere and prove themselves (i.e. Daurice Fountain, Cornell Powell, Justyn Ross, Gary Jennings). Items like being able to play special teams, consistency as a pass catcher and all-around traits could separate some of these players from others. Can Josh Gordon fend off some of that competition that is likely on the same battleground, as of now?

Will Chiefs Give Gordon Long Enough Leash?

The final question to ponder, will Josh Gordon be given a long enough leash by the Chiefs? Surely, not all of the opportunities probably set him up to succeed late last year. That is especially true, as Kansas City was entering the postseason. That was before his eventual moment of being waived in the playoffs. But at the same time, there were chances that were met with empty results last year.

Gordon had a couple of drops. He also had some miss timed breaks within routes and minor details that were not carried out. For 2022, the Chiefs will be open to giving many wide receivers new chances, now that one of the league’s best at the position is out the door. There may be specific matchups and weeks where different guys are more featured than others. Even if that changes week to week, Kansas City has to be distinct with how they handle the new wide receiver room. For Josh Gordon, that leash may be relatively shorter than that of others, as a result. Can he prove to overcome that?

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles in the coming days. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.