KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs have promoted wide receiver Josh Gordon from their practice squad to the active roster, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday.
That means Gordon, 30, is likely to play against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs last week signed Gordon, who hadn’t played in the NFL since 2019, and there were immediate signs from the team that the Chiefs were eager to get him into the mix.
“Everywhere he’s been, he’s kind of dominated,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said, “so I mean it’s definitely exciting.”
Defensive back Tyrann Mathieu compared Gordon to NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson.
“The guy looks like one of those kinds of guys that you see two people on him and you still can throw the ball to him,” Mathieu said,
Coach Andy Reid on Monday didn’t commit to activating Gordon this week and said it would depend on Gordon’s familiarity with the offensive system.
“I don’t want to put him in a bad situation out there,” Reid said.
The Chiefs have been searching for a wide receiver who can play every down along with Tyreek Hill since losing Sammy Watkins as a free agent in the spring. They’ve given significant playing time to Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle, but none of those players has consistently delivered for the Chiefs.
Gordon was suspended indefinitely in December 2019 for violations of the league’s policies on substance abuse and performance-enhancing substances. It was Gordon’s sixth suspension since the 2013 season and his fifth for some form of substance abuse, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Gordon submitted his reinstatement letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in July, and the NFLPA recommended that he be reinstated. His application for reinstatement was approved by Goodell on Monday, a source said.
Gordon led the NFL in receiving in 2013, when he played for the Cleveland Browns and accumulated 1,646 receiving yards.