Three biggest questions facing the K.C. Chiefs at the bye week

Will Josh Gordon ever emerge?

There was a point, even a few weeks ago, where would have stopped asking this question. The assumed narrative would have gone something like this: “Josh Gordon was signed. Josh Gordon hasn’t had an impact. Josh Gordon didn’t work out.”

That storyline is a pretty familiar one to Chiefs Kingdom already. Le’Veon Bell was a preseason addition that just didn’t work out all that well. Kelvin Benjamin was a  total bust of a late-season signing. Darrelle Revis was just here in K.C. to cash checks. Chiefs fans have seen this before, with a midseason acquisition that didn’t quite pan out as expected. It happens.

But we keep bringing it up because the Chiefs keep bringing it up—on the field. Gordon is getting serious snaps every game these days, and the bye week should only give him a bit more time to learn more of the offense, settle in further to relationships and chemistry, and come out the other side perhaps ready to impact the game even more.

So far, Gordon only has 2 catches for 18 yards, but he also just played 43 percent of snaps and started the game for the Chiefs offensively. Reads aren’t going his way, but he’s clearly earned the trust of the coaching staff to be on the field so much. That doesn’t happen unless they believe you’ll do your job as a pass-catcher, a route-runner, and a blocker.

Andy Reid keeps insisting that Gordon is making strides and will make an impact in time. While that sounds like coach-speak, just know that he said the same thing about the entire team. Even when the Chiefs were in last place, Reid asked fans to trust and believe knowing the tide would turn. He’s now saying the same about Gordon, but if he can emerge down the stretch, this Chiefs offense would gain a level of dynamism missing at times since Sammy Watkins left in free agency.