He played college football for the Baylor Bears and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2012 NFL Supplemental draft.

Throughout his career, Gordon has been lauded for his on-field production, but has also faced several suspensions for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Gordon had a breakout season in 2013 by leading the league in receiving yards, which earned him Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors.

Over the next four years, however, Gordon only played 11 games for the Browns due to his substance abuse suspensions and missed the entirety of the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

He was traded to the New England Patriots in 2018, but voluntarily left the active roster amid a potential indefinite suspension from the NFL.

Gordon returned the following season with the Patriots and Seattle Seahawks before further substance abuse violations led to his suspension in 2020.

[4] Gordon attended Lamar High School in Houston, where he played football, basketball, and ran track.

[3] He also competed in track and field as a senior, where he ran a leg on the Lamar 4 × 100m and 4 × 200m relay squads, helping them capture the state title in both events with times of 42.69 seconds and 1:30.43 minutes, respectively.

[6] During the college recruitment period, Gordon was targeted by Baylor, Houston, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Texas Tech.

Although he received multiple Division I offers, his choice of Baylor was easy due to his supervised probation which required him to not leave the state of Texas.

[9] However, in October 2010, during his sophomore year, he and teammate Willie Jefferson were found asleep in a local Taco Bell drive-through lane.

[10][11] In August 2011, Gordon transferred to the University of Utah, but did not play during the 2011 season after declaring too late for the 2011 Supplemental draft.

[37] On December 27, 2014, exactly one year removed from being selected into the Pro Bowl, the Browns suspended Gordon from the final game of the season due to a violation of team rules.

In a press statement, Gordon wrote, "After careful thought and deep consideration I've decided that I need to step away from pursuing my return to the Browns and my football career to enter an in-patient rehabilitation facility.

[50] He was officially activated off the Commissioner's Exempt list on November 30, 2017, for the Browns' Week 13 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

[54] Initially, it was reported that the Browns finally lost patience with him after he injured his hamstring during an off-field event on September 12.

[57] Later in the game, he took on defensive back duties to defend against Bears' quarterback Mitchell Trubisky's Hail Mary pass.

[64] On March 12, 2019, the Patriots placed a second-round tender on Gordon, securing his services for the upcoming 2019 season, should he be reinstated by the NFL.

[76] He was conditionally reinstated from suspension on December 3, and the NFL announced he could be eligible to play in the last two weeks of the regular season.

[77] On December 21, Gordon was added to the Seahawks' active roster after the NFL ruled him eligible to return from his suspension.

[78] One day later, the NFL determined that Gordon had broken the terms of his conditional reinstatement, and the Seahawks were again given a roster exemption for him.

[81] On February 27, 2021, Gordon signed with the FCF Zappers of the Fan Controlled Football League while being suspended from the NFL.

The Chiefs chose to make Gordon a healthy inactive for the Wild Card Round game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

[96] The Seattle Sea Dragons selected Gordon in the sixth round of the 2023 XFL Supplemental draft on January 1, 2023.

In Week 3 against the Vegas Vipers, Gordon caught a 65-yard touchdown from Ben DiNucci with 58 seconds left in the game to win 30–26.

The Sea Dragons folded when the XFL and USFL merged to create the United Football League (UFL).