Chiefs players who need strong performances vs. Washington Commanders

Josh Gordon, Wide Receiver

No Chiefs wide receiver has seen his stock drop worse this training camp than Josh Gordon. After signing in Kansas City towards the beginning of the regular season, it’s safe to say that his season last season did not reach expectations. After recording only 5 receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown, many in Chiefs Kingdom have moved on from the hope of seeing a resurgence from the player who was once a first-team all-pro in 2013.

Getting back to 2022, Josh Gordon has not been super impressive at camp and had a very underwhelming game against the Bears to open his preseason. According to Pro Football Focus ($), he ran 12 routes, plus three targets for a total of zero yards and an abysmal PFF grade of 39.6 (60.0 is considered “average”).

The Chiefs appear to be set on JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Skyy Moore making the team, plus Justin Watson has also likely secured his spot on the active roster due to his chemistry with Patrick Mahomes. That makes it five roster spots seemingly set in stone but it is unknown whether they will carry six or seven receivers to begin the regular season.

Another thing working against Gordon is that he does not have a lot of special teams experience and that could be a potential deciding factor when deciding between him and Daurice Fountain if they choose to keep only six receivers. According to the Chiefs’ unofficial depth chart, Gordon is currently behind Fountain and another weak preseason performance could spell doom for his chances of making the final 53-man roster.