‘He is part of the team’: Patriots receivers express support for Josh Gordon
"It stinks he's not here."
ATLANTA — Wide receiver Josh Gordon is undoubtedly still a part of the Patriots, according to his former teammates.
“He’s a really good person,’’ fellow receiver Phillip Dorsett said Tuesday at the Patriots’ hotel in Atlanta. “We got really close during his time. I mean, it’s hard to not be close to a player. We see these guys every day. We see these guys more than we see our wives sometimes. So, it’s hard to not be close to a player.’’
Gordon, who was suspended indefinitely in December for violating the terms of his conditional reinstatement under the league’s substance abuse policy, has not been with the Patriots since Week 15. During his absence, however, it appears as though he is actively keeping up with the team, often sharing words of encouragement via his Instagram.
“To the most passionate, dedicated, honorable, & hardest working group of men I’ve ever met,’’ he wrote after New England’s AFC Championship win over the Kansas City Chiefs. “The integrity, love, and passion you guys share for the game will echo throughout your legacy..’’
Though Gordon was in Foxborough for less than a season, his impact seemingly extended across the receiving corps. His production was hard to miss thanks to his raw talent and ridiculous catch radius — as Chris Hogan put it, “believe all the hype because he was a physical freak’’ — but Gordon’s work ethic and presence in the locker room didn’t go unnoticed by those around him, either.
“I remember being surprised the week he got there because he already knew half of our offense and play calls,’’ said Hogan. “That just blew me away. He went in there early and stayed there late just to learn our offense so that he could get on the field and try to make plays for us. When he was able to get out there, he was a playmaker. [Tom Brady] and all of our offense definitely looked to him to make those big plays and he did for a lot of the weeks.’’
Dorsett echoed Hogan’s observations, calling Gordon “a really smart guy’’ who “asked all the right questions.’’ He said he loved having Gordon in the locker room and in their position group. Having experienced a slightly similar situation when he was traded from the Indianapolis Colts to the Patriots in September 2017, Dorsett said he tried to help Gordon transition “as smoothly as possible’’ because he’s been in his shoes.
Gordon had 40 catches for three touchdowns and a team-high 720 yards in 11 games with the Patriots. Both Hogan and Dorsett agreed that it’s a shame Gordon isn’t able to be with the team in Atlanta because his contributions helped them reach this point in the season.
“It was just unfortunate how things went down and what happened,’’ Hogan said. “All I can say is Josh is a great teammate. He worked really hard from the second that he got there. You could tell how hard he wanted it. You could tell how much enjoyed playing this game.’’
“Obviously, we want him to be here,’’ added Dorsett. “As a teammate, as a player, and as a person, we definitely want him here. But as the end of the day, we have to focus on who we have in this locker room.’’
Whether Gordon will be allowed to return to the NFL is still unclear. While on the reserve/commissioner suspended list, he does not count as a member of the Patriots’ 53-man roster but is still under contract with the team through next season.
