During Sunday night’s matchup between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Josh Gordon will play his first regular-season game since December. Sure, countless players – including those on the Patriots – are returning from longer absences due to injuries. But Gordon’s trip back to the turf at Gillette Stadium has been complicated.

During training camp, he returned from an indefinite suspension, which has consumed the better part of the last four seasons. That suspension is, in part, the result of his battle with mental health issues and addiction. While he hasn’t yet spoken with the media since joining New England, his teammates and coaches seem pleased with his presence.

“Yeah, Josh has worked hard,” Bill Belichick said during a press conference on Friday when asked if he was excited for Gordon to get a chance to play. “He’s created an opportunity for himself. But, you know, I’m excited for our entire team. We’ve got a lot of guys — everybody’s worked hard, put a lot into it. It’s time to start playing. It’s time to see where we’re at.

“This is what you put in all that time in the offseason (for). Training camp and OTAs and all the other things that go into it — this is what it’s for: starting regular-season games. So I think we’re all ready to go — or will be Sunday.”

Because the NFL didn’t reinstate Gordon until Aug. 16, the receiver played in just the fourth preseason game with rookie quarterback Jarrett Stidham starting. Gordon looked rusty, but still managed two catches on six targets for 30 yards while drawing a defensive pass interference call worth 35 yards, which set up a Patriots touchdown on the following play. That performance came after an offseason when he couldn’t be in contact with the team, but he still logged a private workout with Tom Brady this offseason.

During the quarterback’s weekly appearance on WEEI’s “Greg Hill Show,” Brady discussed what it’s been like to have limited work with Gordon while accommodating newcomers like receiver Demaryius Thomas.

“We’re not a finished product,” Brady said on radio Tuesday. “We won’t be that way for a long time. We’re going to try to build every single day. Like everything else, the more you do it, the more you’re together, the more you can anticipate, the more you can have confidence and trust in one another. That’s what we’re trying to get to.”

The good news is that Gordon was a quick study of the Patriots offense in 2018. That’s not always true for veteran receivers. This season, receiver Dontrelle Inman, a five-year veteran, couldn’t earn first-team reps in training camp and request his own release. Receivers Eric Decker, Nate Washington, Reggie Wayne, Chad Ochocinco and so many others have struggled with the offense.

Gordon finished his first season with 40 reception for 720 yards and three touchdowns. His 18 yards per reception — and his big frame at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds — were impressive, and could be important as the Patriots try to establish a vertical threat after the retirement of tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Belichick’s controlled optimism is a good sign for Gordon as he attempts to take an increased role in 2019.