He will, however, have to fight for his right to that job in camp. Baltimore returns J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill to its backfield in 2023, and with eight NFL years already behind him, Gordon is likely aware he’ll have to outperform at least one of his younger counterparts to lock down a roster spot entering September.
The Ravens also on Friday officially placed Dobbins (knee) on their physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list ahead of camp, furthering the need to add depth to the backfield.
Considering the state of the position — a hot topic that won’t disappear even if the likes of Dalvin Cook, Kareem Hunt and Ezekiel Elliott each sign with teams in the next month — Gordon was likely happy to field an offer that at least gave him a chance to make more than the veteran minimum. At minimum, it gives him a chance to play, to prove his June claim of still having “some tread left on the tires” to be true.
With a number of other runners still unemployed, it’s the best outcome for Gordon. Now it’s up to him to capitalize.