The New England Patriots placed Josh Gordon on injured reserve Wednesday, and his career with the team could be ending in the near future.
Gordon has a knee injury, but NFL Media's Mike Garafolo reported Wednesday the veteran wide receiver "believes he's close to returning to play." What would happen when Gordon is ready to play? A return to the Patriots doesn't seem likely, as NFL Media's Ian Rapoport explains:
If Gordon is waived, the worst teams in the league would be able to claim him first, starting with the winless Miami Dolphins. If the Oakland Raiders find themselves in a position to acquire Gordon, one of his former teammates would approve. Raiders left tackle Trent Brown, who played with Gordon on the Patriots last season, tried to recruit the 28-year-old wideout to the Raiders in an Instagram comment Wednesday.
The Raiders are among the teams most in need of additional talent and depth at wide receiver. They traded for Antonio Brown in March, but his tenure with Oakland didn't even make it to their regular season opener. The Raiders released Brown on Sept. 7, leaving Tyrell Williams as the team's top wide receiver. Williams has tallied 216 yards in four games played, and he ranks second on the Raiders in receiving yards behind tight end Darren Waller.
Oakland has a 3-3 record and sits just a half-game behind the Houston Texans for the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoff race entering Week 8.
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