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Former Washington State QB Anthony Gordon signs futures contract with Kansas City Chiefs

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Anthony Gordon stands on the field Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, during an NFL football training camp in Renton, Wash.  (Associated Press)

The Pac-12’s single-season record-holder for passing yards, total offense and passing touchdowns is hooking up with an NFL team that knows a thing or two about putting points on the board.

Ex-Washington State quarterback Anthony Gordon has signed a futures contract with the reigning NFL champion Kansas City Chiefs, where he’ll have an opportunity to learn under the tutelage of former NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and two-time Super Bowl champion coach Andy Reid. ESPN’s Field Yates first reported the news.

Gordon was a projected NFL draft pick by a handful of media outlets, but the Pacifica, California, native wasn’t selected in the 2020 event and immediately signed a free-agent deal with the Seattle Seahawks. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gordon wasn’t able to play any preseason games with the Seahawks, who retained Russell Wilson and Geno Smith on the 53-man roster and signed Danny Etling to the practice squad, forcing the club to part ways with the undrafted rookie.

The 23-year-old Gordon earned a tryout with his hometown San Francisco 49ers, who dealt with QB injuries through the 2020 season, but didn’t officially find his way back into the league until Tuesday.

NFL teams can sign players to futures contracts before the end of the current league season, but those contracts won’t count until the start of the new season. Under the terms of a futures contract, Gordon can’t be signed by any other team before the 2021 season begins, unless he’s waived by the Chiefs.

The Chiefs are carrying two quarterbacks on their active roster – Mahomes and veteran Chad Henne – but Gordon may have a chance to compete for the team’s No. 3 job. Third-stringer Matt Moore becomes a free agent at the end of the current season, and Gordon could benefit from a more structured preseason camp in 2021.

In his lone season as WSU’s starter, Gordon rewrote Pac-12 record books, setting conference single-season records for passing yards (5,579), passing touchdowns (48), completions (493) and total offense (5,559). While guiding the Cougars to their program-record fifth consecutive bowl game, Gordon had nine games of 400-plus passing yards with two games of 500-plus yards and one game of 606 yards.