Wide receiver Josh Gordon. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

It is hard to expect much from Josh Gordon after all the trouble he has had in his once-promising NFL career, but apparently he is off to a solid start with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Gordon was so impressive in his first week of practice with the Chiefs that he could be promoted to the active roster next week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media. The 30-year-old is reportedly in outstanding shape despite not playing in a game since 2019.

Rapoport notes that Gordon has picked up Kansas City’s offense fairly quickly. Brad Childress, who worked under Andy Reid with the Chiefs from 2013-17, was the offensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns in 2012 when Gordon was there. Because of that, there are aspects of the Chiefs’ offense that are already familiar to Gordon.

One source told Rapoport that Gordon has looked like a true No. 1 receiver in his limited practice reps.

There’s no question Gordon is physically gifted. He was one of the best receivers in the NFL earlier in his career. The question, of course, is whether he can avoid setbacks in his ongoing battle with substance abuse. To this point, he has not shown that he can do that.

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