Josh Gordon’s NFL career has been far from stable, especially in recent years. Despite his off the field issues and multiple suspensions causing a slew of missed games, he has reportedly reached out to Commissioner Roger Goodell about possibly reinstating him for the upcoming season. Gordon has battled his own internal demons, resulting in several suspensions for substance abuse, but one more chance at the NFL could still be a reality for the 29-year-old former Pro Bowler.
CBS Sports listed potential landing spots for Gordon and included the Seahawks, Buccaneers, Patriots, Redskins, and finally, the New York Giants. From a completely unbiased standpoint, the possibility of the Giants taking a chance on him immediately caught my attention. Definitely a high risk-high reward situation here, but it is worth analyzing the possibility.
What would be the benefits?
Josh Gordon has all the tools to compete with the top receiver talent in the league today. Still only 29 years old, we have seen what he looks like when he plays to his full potential. For example, in 2013 he led the NFL in receiving yards with 1,646, while also scoring nine touchdowns. All the more impressive considering he was catching balls from a quarterback room consisting of Jason Campbell, Brandon Weeden, and Brian Hoyer. Joe Judge has so far proven to be a “no-nonsense” kind of guy. Not to mention he was Gordon’s WR coach during his stint in New England. Could be the perfect coach to maintain Gordon’s focus on football. Even Bill Belichick, the most “no-nonsense” coach in the history of the sport, gave him a chance, so all hope is not lost for Gordon.
The New York Giants filled a lot of holes this offseason. Drafting a top tackle prospect, acquiring several defensive free agents to bolster their linebacking and secondary units, as well as completely revamping the coaching staff. The receiving corps is one that could look to be addressed next season. Not an area of urgent need, but definitely room for improvement. Darius Slayton looked to be one of the steals of the draft, Evan Engram, when healthy, is one of the better receiving threat tight ends in the game, Golden Tate looked to be one of Daniel Jones’ favorite targets, and Sterling Shepard battled injuries all throughout last season.
Gordon most recently played for the Seahawks, the only team to claim him off waivers in 2019. Gordon is looking for a fresh start, again. With a history of availability issues and disciplinary struggles off the field, could the Giants take a chance with the hopes he returns to his pro bowl form? Adding a big-bodied wide receiver in a massively important second year for Daniel Jones could be an intriguing thought. Gordon is a beast on the field, the only problem is getting him on there and staying there for a full season. Wherever he ends up, I think it is safe to say we all want to see Josh Gordon flourish in a stable situation and return in a productive role.