Josh Gordon is back. Against fringe New York Giants roster members, the New England Patriots trotted out the receiver to give him his first live action of the 2019 season. It didn't take long for him to record his first reception of the night.

Rookie quarterback Jarrett Stidham found Gordon running an intermediate comeback route. For New York cornerback Henre' Tolliver, Gordon's physicality and massive frame were overwhelming. Gordon shrugged off his attempted tackle to turn the first-down gain into a longer one.

A month ago, Gordon likely wasn't expecting to spend his Thursday night playing NFL football. That changed when the NFL lifted an indefinite suspension for violating the league's drug policy. The suspension, placed in December of 2018, was once regarded as potentially career-ending; it wasn't his first time at that rodeo.

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Here is Roger Goodell's statement for Gordon's reinstatement to the league:

“We are all rooting for Josh to succeed, both personally and professionally. Everyone shares in that hope and will continue to support him to every extent possible. But as Josh acknowledged, ultimately his success is up to him.”

The Patriots took Gordon off the NFI (non-football injury) list last week. The NFL didn't make him eligible to play Week 3, but Bill Belichick and Co. weren't likely going to do so. Gordon hadn't played NFL football since December of 2018. As soon as he was eligible, New England decided to give him the chance to shake off his rust.

Gordon may not be a starter yet — he missed most of training camp. However, he's a game-changing force capable of being Tom Brady's favorite deep-ball target.