The reinstatement of Josh Gordon suddenly gives the New England Patriots an elite passing game. Here are three bold predictions for the talented receiver.
The New England Patriots got a gift from the NFL on Friday. Most importantly, troubled wide receiver Josh Gordon got another chance at football as the league announced that the talented playmaker is being reinstated with conditions.
As the Patriots have not been counting on a Gordon reinstatement going into the 2019 NFL season, this is certainly a boost for quarterback Tom Brady and a wide receiver depth chart that only has Julian Edelman and 2019 NFL first-round pick N’Keal Harry as the only players locked for a roster spot.
Suddenly, this gives the defending Super Bowl champions a pretty solid trio of receivers if Harry is able to turn his size and talent into NFL success.
While the conditions set for Josh Gordon puts his reliability to be available for the full season in doubt given his history, it is clear the New England Patriots and the NFL are rooting for the dynamic wide receiver to succeed on and off the field this time around.
"“We are all rooting for Josh to succeed, both personally and professionally,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in the statement released by the league. “Everyone shares in that hope and will continue to support him to every extent possible. But as Josh acknowledged, ultimately his success is up to him.”"
Gordon, who has been suspended since Dec. 20 for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, now must focus on getting in game shape by Week 1 of the NFL season.
Now that he is officially reinstated, here are three bold predictions for Flash Gordon in 2019.
3. A big impact on N’Keal Harry
Josh Gordon on the field will greatly impact the development of 2019 NFL first-round pick N’Keal Harry.
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Similar in size, both receivers will give Tom Brady a great duo of size athletes to throw to, especially when he gets into trouble in the pocket and just has to throw the ball up.
We saw a glimpse of what Harry could do in the first preseason game against the Detroit Lions. He made a couple Gordon-like catches before exciting the game with a leg injury.
While Gordon on the field will obviously limit N’Keal Harry’s targets, this is a good thing for a rookie player who suddenly does not have as much pressure put on him. It gives him an opportunity, like Malcolm Mitchell, to gradually become a part of the offense and hopefully by midseason be a bigger part of what the team does offensively.
Gordon’s work ethic, along with what he’s already absorbed from Julian Edelman, will also motivate the rookie. Josh Gordon has had his off-the-field issues, but no one can take away his high IQ when it comes to the game of football.
N’Keal Harry will certainly learn and become inspired by what the veteran wide receiver brings to the field.
2. A 1,000-yard season
As we seen in 2018, it won’t take 16 games for Josh Gordon to come close to obtaining a 1,000-yard receiving season.
In fact, if he is able to play a full season, he will come close to over 1,500 yards receiving. That reliability will take a lot of commitment on and off the field, but if available and focused, Gordon gives the New England Patriots offense a weapon besides Julian Edelman that opposing defenses will have to prepare for.
In just 11 games with the Patriots in 2018, Gordon had 40 catches for 720 yards and three touchdowns. It really seemed like he was starting to hit his stride with the team before he was suspended by the league.
Let’s remember, in that 11th game, he had minimal production.
Whether it was slant passes or deep passes, Tom Brady began to develop trust with Josh Gordon and it will be exciting for New England Patriots fans to see where this connection goes over a full NFL season.
1. Comeback player of the year
If indeed Josh Gordon plays a complete season and rack up the kind of numbers as predicted in the previous slide, he will be NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
Not only will his on the field accolades earn applause, his off-the-field motivation will be an inspirational NFL story as well as a life story that will be celebrated.
As he sat at home watching the New England Patriots win the Super Bowl without him, Gordon will be a key part of their run in 2019. While winning doesn’t cure everything, it certainly helps fuel a player like Josh Gordon who will further see the impact of hard work and what it means to be a part of the team.
It will also help to have a player like Tom Brady rooting and pulling for him and teammates that believe in him and do what they can to keep him on the right track.
With the season Josh Gordon is set to have, the offseason story of 2020 may indeed be where he will sign his next big contract. Perhaps if he shows he can be a reliable player, the New England Patriots lock him up with a longer deal before that happens.