There was a time when Josh Gordon was one of the best wide receivers in the NFL and people were already envisioning his bust in Canton.

It was a short time, and if you just started paying attention to the NFL over the last couple of years, you're probably completely unaware of it, but it did happen.

That was until Gordon's battle with drugs consumed him and caused him to miss just about all of 2014 and two whole seasons in 2015 and 2016.

Overall, since hauling in 87 receptions for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns during his monster 2013 campaign, Gordon has played just 22 games, with 12 of them coming last year before he was suspended again.

Gordon began the 2018 campaign with the Cleveland Browns before being traded to the New England Patriots after just one contest. He caught 41 passes for 737 yards and four scores on the year before being banned indefinitely.

The 28-year-old was then surprisingly reinstated by the NFL earlier this month and will be able to resume his attempt at redemption.

So, that raises the question: can Gordon return to stardom with the Patriots in 2019?

Gordon will almost surely be one of Tom Brady's top two targets on the year, with the other being Julian Edelman. Had he played in all 16 games in 2018, he probably would have finished with around 1,000 yards, and there is reason to believe he can surpass that this season.

Remember: the Pats don't have Rob Gronkowski anymore, so that is a big hole in the aerial attack that needs to be filled. Of course, the Patriots still have Phillip Dorsett and rookie N'Keal Harry, but you have to think a lot of those targets will go to Gordon.

Really, it might just come down to Gordon and whether or not he actually takes advantage of this opportunity.

Let's have a heart here for a second: being in Gordon's shoes cannot be easy. Not in terms of getting paid to play football for a living, but as far as going through what he is going through.

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It's obvious that Gordon has been battling a lot of demons. He surely doesn't want to be away from the game. Addiction is never easy, and it is an incredibly difficult stronghold to break.

So, for those of you constantly getting on his case and railroading him for his constant drug suspensions, take a step back and understand that Gordon is not doing this on purpose. He needs help, and hopefully, he is getting it.

This is chance to make things right, not for the NFL, the fans, or even his team, but for himself.

He is still just 28, so Gordon has plenty of football ahead of him if he chooses to stay on the right path. It just comes down to his willpower and if he is able to avoid slipping.

Fortunately, he has a group of 52 other guys in that locker room, plus the coaching staff and the front office, to assist him every step of the way to ensure he is on the straight and narrow.

It isn't a question of physical ability for Gordon; it's his mental state.

If Gordon can finally shake his demons for good and focus on simply playing football and mastering his craft, he can absolutely get back to being an elite receiver.

I'm not saying he'll be 2013 Josh Gordon again, but he can still be really, really good, and that is a scary thought for the rest of the league.