Josh Gordon wants to stay a Seahawk. It’s time for them to see what the former All-Pro has
Josh Gordon was weeks into his new NFL place and life. He was thousands of miles from his two, young children.
So a few of his new Seahawks teammates made sure he didn’t spend Thanksgiving alone.
“It’s been great, actually,” the former All-Pro wide receiver said of his third team in the last 14 months. “Spent the holiday with some families, some teammates here. They extended their homes to let me to come out for Thanksgiving.
“It’s been a great transition, to be honest with you.”
That locker-room vibe and culture — plus the chance to play with quarterback Russell Wilson — have so far been more valuable to Gordon than his modest six catches for 81 yards in his first four games since the Seahawks claimed him off waivers from New England last month.
Those intangibles are why Gordon already wants to be with Seattle beyond his contract ending with this 2019 season.
“Oh, yeah, absolutely. Seattle is amazing,” he said at his locker before practice for Sunday’s game in Charlotte, N.C., when he and the Seahawks (10-3) play at Carolina (5-8).
“Yeah, football aside, I would definitely love to live in a place like this.”
Asked if he’s had any discussions with the Seahawks about being on their 2020 team, Gordon, who turns 29 in April, said: “That’s my hope.
“I think, optimistically, that’s anybody’s goal, any player’s goal, to try to find a place you can call home — in all aspects.
“The culture’s just different. I think it’s something that felt more like a fit, I guess, to me. It’s pretty natural. It’s pretty smooth.
“It’s just my pace, I guess.”
Even his dog, a French bulldog named Franklin “loves” Seattle.
“He’s used to the cold. At least he should be by now. He stays indoors a lot,” Gordon said. “Got to get him out, hiking.”
Limited chances so far
This has become clear through four games with Gordon: The Seahawks need to get him out on deeper, more consistent opportunities down field than the 10 targets he’s gotten in four games from Wilson. They need to see if he is still the deep threat they think he is.
No fewer than 27 other teams think he’s not. They declined the chance to claim Gordon off waivers for a prorated, essentially minimum salary last month.
No one ahead of the Seahawks in picking order (waiver claims are in reverse order of league standings for that week) wanted to take even a low-risk chance on Gordon. Not after his seven suspensions by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (six times, the most recent last December) and Gordon’s former Cleveland Browns (once) in his six seasons. Not after the Super Bowl-champion Patriots, who still need receivers, gave up on him this season after putting him on injured reserve for a relatively minor knee injury.
Coach Pete Carroll said the Seahawks claimed Gordon because they believe he still has the big-play ability that made him an All-Pro for his 87 catches for 1,646 yards (19 yards per grab) and nine touchdowns for Cleveland in 2013.
“I mean, I’ve said it a million times to you guys: We are always looking for guys that have something special about them,” Carroll said Nov. 1. “He’s a big-play guy. He has been able to really stretch the field.
“And I know guys that have worked with him and coached him. They rave about his talent and play-making ability.”
Thing is, Gordon hasn’t had a season with more than 40 catches since 2013; that 40 was last season with the Patriots. With his substance-abuse issues, he hasn’t played in more than 12 games in any season since his All-Pro one six years ago.
Sunday will be Gordon’s 11th game of this season, six for New England and five for Seattle. He has 26 catches, no more than six in any game. His lone touchdown of 2019 came in Week 1, for the Patriots against Pittsburgh.
When are the Seahawks going to use him down the field?
The first four of his six catches for Seattle, before Sunday night’s loss at the Los Angeles Rams, were on quick, third-down slants for first downs late in games.
Gordon going deep down the field would be a revelation for Seattle’s small-play passing game right now.
Carroll says “we’re counting on” it.
Top receiver Tyler Lockett has been injured (severely bruised shin that put him in a hospital after the win at San Francisco last month) or sick (he played through the win over Minnesota with the flu). Lockett said the last few Seahawks foes have been playing deeper defenses to take away the longer pass plays Wilson, Lockett and to some extent rookie DK Metcalf had earlier this season.
The Vikings stayed in so much two-deep safety zone defense to take away Seattle’s long passes Dec. 2 Wilson kept changing pass calls to runs. The Seahawks ran a season high-tying 43 times for year’s-best 218 yards and beat Minnesota 37-30.
Gordon got a season-high five targets against the Rams. He caught two of those throws.
Wednesday, Carroll said Gordon should have had more. Carroll said Gordon was breaking open for potentially big gains multiple times, but Wilson was either hurried, sacked one of his five times, hit one of 11 times or throwing in another direction.
“I think we could get the ball out a couple seconds earlier, a second or two earlier,” Wilson said Thursday.
Carroll said: “Josh has had huge games in the past. He just hasn’t gotten the ball enough yet to show that for us.
“But he’s done really well. Josh has been a really good guy around here and practicing, working hard and studying. There were a few calls in that (Rams) game that he had shots, but the ball didn’t get to him.
“We’re counting on him. He could have a big game any time.”
Now would be a good time. The Seahawks will win the NFC West, have a coveted home playoff game and perhaps a first-round bye if they win their last three regular-season games.
“I mean, anywhere I can be useful for the offense. A catch, move the chains, 5 yards here. Doesn’t matter,” Gordon said. “Any type of way to make a positive influence on the offensive scheme and offensive game plan, I’m there for.”
Gordon was playing more than 80 percent of his snaps with New England until his knee injury Oct. 10 in a game against the New York Giants became the beginning of his end with the Patriots.
In Seattle, he played about 33 percent of snaps in his first three games. He got 55 percent of the plays at Los Angeles last weekend.
“I didn’t have any expectation as far as snap counts and reps,” he said.
Gordon stays he’s just waiting, dutifully.
“I just wait for your opportunities,” he said. “Make sure you are on point and hit seamlessly if I do have to come into the game.”
Gordon says he’s seen all the wide-receiver positions on the Browns, Patriots and now Seahawks. So he’s able and ready to play any possible role in Seattle’s offense, as an outside split end on the line, off the ball as a flanker, inside in the slot, in motion before the snap, wherever.
Russell Wilson? ‘Incredible guy’
Gordon has had an eclectic mix of quarterbacks in his NFL career: the inexperienced, the bad — and the best-ever.
Brandon Weeden. Brian Hoyer. Jason Campbell. Johnny Manziel. DeShone Kizer.
Oh, and from 2018 until last month, Tom Brady.
Wilson is why Gordon wanted to sign with Seattle. What does Gordon think of Wilson after four games with the Seahawks’ $140 million franchise QB and Super Bowl winner?
“He wants to do whatever it takes to win,” Gordon said. “That’s why he’s a quarterback. He’s a leader. The guy is magnetic-like. We feed off him, and vice versa, I believe.
“Incredible guy.”
That’s more of why Gordon doesn’t want these final three regular-season games, and the Seahawks’ expected place in the NFC playoffs, to be his last games for Seattle.
“I’m just fortunate, in general, to have landed in a place like this, with a coach like this, coaching staff and the organization from the top down, guys ... it’s just real family-like,” he said.
“It’s a great feeling to kind of come back to football and enjoy what you do and be able to have fun, also. That’s a blessing in this league. This organization has perfected it, you know. And it’s great.”
This story was originally published December 13, 2019 at 6:35 AM.
