Josh Gordon Thankful for Latest Opportunity with Seahawks

Quickly learning a new offense and acing his first week with his new team, Gordon will likely make his Seahawks debut against the undefeated 49ers on Monday Night Football.

After being waived off injured reserve by the Patriots last Thursday, receiver Josh Gordon knew he likely wouldn’t have a say on where he would play next.

Each of the other 31 NFL teams could have put in a claim for his rights, leaving the door open for him to continue his career with a cellar dweller such as the Dolphins, Bengals, or Redskins. The decision was completely out of Gordon’s hands.

But Gordon couldn’t have dreamed of a better outcome, as the first 27 teams on the waiver order chose not to claim him, allowing the Seahawks to bring the former All-Pro receiver into the mix to form a potentially devastating receiver trio alongside DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

“It’s been great. It’s been a smooth transition.” Gordon said while speaking with reporters on Saturday. “A great environment, a great football team, and organization. I’m really happy to be here.”

Though he’s been with the team for less than a week, Gordon has done everything right with his latest NFL opportunity. He immediately made a positive impression on Pete Carroll and Seattle’s coaching staff by vigorously diving headfirst into a new playbook and performing well in his first three practices with the team.

While some players may have been fazed by the idea of trying to tackle a new offense in the middle of a season, Gordon gained plenty of experience adjusting to new schemes while playing under numerous coaching regimes in Cleveland. Having offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and quarterback Russell Wilson around only expedited his learning.

“I’ve had to do it a few times with different coaches, different teams obviously.” Gordon reflected. “It can be difficult. It can be hard on the fly. You want to be able to just move without thinking as much. Getting to that part of the game is the most important part for me, making everything kind of more second nature.”

Gordon admitted he’s eyed playing for the Seahawks for quite some time, telling reporters he and Wilson had been discussing the idea of playing together dating back to when he was still with the Browns. The once-unthinkable fantasy became a reality last Friday.

“It goes back to maybe 2014 or 2015, or something like that.” Gordon said of his relationship with Wilson. “I guess we kind of just kept tabs on each other from time to time, and mutually admired each other’s game and saying what’s up. That’s about it. We always talked football, and I think we built some type of relationship prior to me getting here.”

After years of fantasizing about the possibility of catching passes from Wilson, Gordon will now have a chance to do just that. His first test? Though Carroll wouldn’t confirm whether or not he would play, he’ll have a chance to make an instant impact for the Seahawks against the NFC West-leading 49ers on Monday Night Football.

Crediting him for his advanced football acumen, Wilson called Gordon a “natural” and envisions him providing a dangerous complimentary weapon teaming up with Lockett and Metcalf in Seattle’s high-flying aerial attack. There’s no doubt in his mind that he’ll be able to contribute right away.

“He makes it easy on me.” Wilson remarked. “He just comes in just ready to roll. He understands the route concepts. He understands what we’re trying to do, and he just does a great job with it. To be honest with you, it’s been a very smooth transition.”

Since being awarded Gordon off waivers, Carroll and general manager John Schneider have done their best to temper expectations and not put too much pressure on him. They needed to wait and see how he looked on the practice field and given his history of substance abuse, understood the importance of a quality support system around him.

Time will tell whether or not Gordon capitalizes on what could be his last chance to make things work in the NFL. But as made clear by his comments on Saturday, his stint with the Patriots is in the rearview mirror and he’s planning to make the most of his opportunity to help his new team win down the stretch.

“I’m grateful to be here. There’s a lot of gratitude. Definitely thankful to land in a spot like this. Could’ve been anywhere. I couldn’t control that. Nonetheless, I’m grateful to have this opportunity to just go out there and do what I do.”