XFL wide receiver Josh Gordon is proving he still has what it takes to be an effective NFL player.
The 31-year-old is having an impressive season thus far with the Seattle Sea Dragons and helped them secure their first win of the year Saturday night against the Vegas Vipers.
Gordon hauled in an extremely clutch 65-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ben Dinucci on Seattle’s do-or-die 4th down attempt with under 60 seconds left to play, and put the Sea Dragons ahead for good, improving their record to 1-2 on the campaign.
JOSH GORDON ON 4TH DOWN ARE YOU KIDDING ME 🤯@XFL2023 | @XFLSeaDragons pic.twitter.com/UqMwOZlten
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 5, 2023
Gordon also scored an impressive 16-yard touchdown in the third quarter, too.
BEN DINUCCI TO JOSH GORDON‼️@XFL2023 | @XFLSeaDragons pic.twitter.com/xMmseHd2T4
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 5, 2023
Although this was Seattle’s only victory of the season so far, Gordon is doing a terrific job revitalizing his football career.
The former NFL All-Pro is leading the XFL in receiving yards this season with 225 and is tied for the lead in receiving touchdowns with 3, according to XFL.com.
Gordon has always been a special talent. In 2013, the former second-round draft pick led the NFL in receiving yards with 1,646, according to ESPN. What makes this season even more impressive is that he tallied more yards than both Calvin Johnson and Antonio Brown, while catching passes from failed NFL quarterbacks Jason Campbell, Brandon Weeden and Brian Hoyer (RELATED: REPORT: Second-Rate NFL Quarterback Daniel Jones Has A Lot Of Nerve Asking For Aaron Rodgers Money)
While his talent has never been questioned, Gordon struggled to stay on the field during his first go-around in the NFL due to failing multiple drug tests.
In midst of an NFL suspension, Gordon opened up about his issues with substance abuse in a sobering 2017 interview with UNNINTERRUPTED. In the interview the star wide receiver admitted to smoking marijuana for most of his life, along with dabbling in other substances over time.
The NFL eased up on their marijuana policy in 2020, making testing limited to the first two weeks of training camp only, instead of from April to August, according to the New York Times.
For a player like Gordon who has flunked multiple drug tests during his football career, the change in policy may continue to help keep him on the straight and narrow.
In 2021, the former Pro Bowler played for the Kansas City Chiefs, where he was hardly a factory in their offense, tallying just 5 catches for 32 yards and a touchdown, according to Pro Football Reference. He was a healthy scratch for the Chiefs in all three of their playoff games, according to ESPN, before being released prior to the start of the 2022 season. In 2022, Gordon had a brief stint with the Tennessee Titans, where was primarily used as a practice squad player and only saw one target in two games, according to Pro Football Reference, before getting released in October.
It felt like both organizations overlooked Gordon’s abilities due to past substance abuse violations from the past. His performance in the XFL this season is proving he’s as good as any number two wide receiver there is in the NFL right now. Every time he suits up for the Sea Dragons, he shows glimpses of the player who earned the nickname “Flash.”
Gordon’s skills as a reliable receiving target are being put on full display in the XFL and it’s a sight to see. If he can continue to play the way that he has been and stay out of trouble, he could be back in the NFL in a sizable role as early as next season.