Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad WR Josh Gordon took the field with his new team for the first time on Wednesday. On Tuesday, he passed his physical and officially signed his contract with the team. He was also assigned the No. 19 jersey in Kansas City, previously worn by players like Jeremy Maclin and Joe Montana.
The plan for Gordon, detailed here by Chiefs HC Andy Reid, is to get him up to speed physically and mentally. They want to see him knock some rust off during practice after having not played football for over a full calendar year. They also want to see him get into the playbook before they make any decisions on when he’ll debut with the team. The 30-year-old got his first chance to do all of that today, and there’s plenty of early indications that he’ll be prepared for a quick turnaround.
During the Chiefs’ portion of practice open to the media, FOX 4’s Harold R. Kuntz, KC Star’s Sam McDowell, Chiefs Digest’s Matt Derrick and The Athletic’s Nate Taylor all captured video of the team’s newest wideout as he went through individual drills.
Check it out:
Want some Josh Gordon? Here's some Josh Gordon. #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/clysjMfibZ
— Harold R. Kuntz (@HaroldRKuntz3) September 29, 2021
Josh Gordon at Chiefs practice today. pic.twitter.com/x5TSPODuK5
— Sam McDowell (@SamMcDowell11) September 29, 2021
Every player except Rashad Fenton (concussion protocol) is on the practice fields. Willie Gay (toe) was also with his teammates, but without a helmet.
Here’s Josh Gordon’s 1st individual rep with the Chiefs. He’ll wear the No. 19 jersey. pic.twitter.com/Q9MACpeGzo
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) September 29, 2021
Another look at Chiefs receivers going through drills, finishing with No. 19 Josh Gordon on the right. pic.twitter.com/rEeUiGRDWM
— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) September 29, 2021
The first thing that is noticeable from these videos is Gordon’s size. He looks every bit of his listed 6-foot-3 and 225-pound size. He’s the biggest receiver on the field and it’s not particularly close.
The next thing that stands out is that Gordon looks really crisp in his route-running. It’s a small sample size, but a lot better than you’d expect from a player whose last NFL game was in December of 2019.
Finally, I like that he was catching the ball away from his body and with his hands. He didn’t have a single drop, which is probably indicative of sample size as well. This certainly looks like an encouraging start for the newest member of the Chiefs organization.
