The NFL is greenlighting another Josh Gordon chance. The league informed the embattled wide receiver he will be reinstated, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, who adds Gordon is expected to be eligible to play in Week 4 (Twitter link).
Gordon applied for yet another reinstatement in July. He has not played since the 2019 season, when a suspension ended his active-roster run with the Seahawks, and is eight years removed from his All-Pro campaign. But the veteran wideout has persisted, with the NFL’s relaxed drug policy benefiting these repeated comeback efforts.
Now 30, Gordon is certainly not the player he once was. And the ex-Browns standout is one of the most unreliable performers in modern NFL history. He has not played a full season since his 2012 rookie year. Gordon played in the startup Fan Controlled Football league earlier this year, joining ex-teammate Johnny Manziel. While it looked like Gordon’s NFL career was over at that point, he has battled back yet again for reinstatement.
The Seahawks showed considerable patience with Gordon, keeping him on their roster throughout 2020. It looked like a Gordon return would commence for last year’s Seattle squad. The NFL reinstated him in December 2020, paving the way for a late-season Seahawks return. The team activated him in late December, but another substance-abuse setback nixed that path. After the NFL rescinded Gordon’s 2020 reinstatement, the Seahawks released Gordon earlier this year.
Gordon will be eligible to sign with any team, though widespread interest is unlikely. He caught 27 passes for 426 yards and one touchdown in 2019, splitting the year in New England and Seattle. Gordon showed superstar potential as a young player, and his 14-game 2013 season still sits sixth on the NFL’s receiving yards-per-game list (117.6). But he missed most of the 2014 season due to a substance-abuse ban and did not play in 2015 or ’16. The NFL did not reinstate Gordon until December 2017, and although he finished that season with the Browns, he did not make it through the ’18 slate with the Patriots, who waived him midway through the 2019 season. Gordon made it through five games with the Seahawks before his 2019 ban, which included a PED violation.
Bets on how long til he’s suspended again?
Over/Under at 3.75 weeks (Asian Line)
I would have bet he would have been suspended before you were able to hit “post comment” on your question. Our young man is growing up right before our eyes… :'(
Breaking news: Gordon suspended indefinitely
Why will THIS time be any different?
Einstein defined Insanity as “repeating the same Test but expecting different Results …. “
Don’t you wish we could all get this many chances in the real world?
Sorry, my sympathy for this guy ran out several Suspensions ago. He has problems football can’t solve.
And money in his pocket will be spent on you know what.
Good for him. Anyone with an addict in their family or is one themselves understands his difficulties as well as the perilous nature of recovery. Good for the league for supporting him and validating his efforts.
Practice empathy not douche baggery, folks.
You can have an opinion that he shouldn’t be reinstated and it doesn’t make one a “douche bag”.
What if being in the league is a large part of his problem?
He seems to clean his act up when’s not playing football….then gets himself in trouble as soon as he starts playing again.
Practice open mindedness not my opinion is the only correct one allowed, folks.
Lets see what the Terms of his reinstatement are.
However, I doubt there are any Teams interested in him at this point, but for the sake of Argument, lets say he Agrees to taking Drug tests twice a Week. That would be Step 1. It might also be wise to have the bulk of his Paycheck deposited into a Trust Fund, that he can access once he gets Older. Not sure that would be allowed but you get the depth of extremes we have to go to with this player.
I just don’t see how its gonna work otherwise. As you allude to, the NFL Lifestyle might be the problem. Either the glam, the stress, isolation in Hotel rooms, whatever, seems to get him in trouble. And NFL teams are not in the business of having to hire baby sitters for each of their players.
His road to recovery might have to be pursued outside of the NFL despite the lower paycheck. Could save his life.
You’re quite right. It was in anticipation to the responses to come and at least one prior (and also just a general way in which to carry oneself). This forum is often ripe with such comments when discussing such subjects. It isn’t about an oppositional opinion, simply the way that it is expressed (again, in a manner lacking empathy, compassion, and understanding, instead demonstrating douche baggery–see above post for original mention).
It could certainly be that being in the league is part of the problem. It’s hard to say if there’s any causation or if he’d be relapsing regardless of his status in the league. One could just as easily make the argument that the league is the only reason why he’s getting sober in the first place–it’s a motivator for him to do better. If that’s taken away, he suffers a loss of identity (among other things), making recovery more difficult. Now, should the league draw a line? Sure, just as family members draw a line when necessary in order to ensure their own emotional stability. I’m unsure as to where that line is though. The league itself doesn’t owe Josh Gordon anything which is what makes their compassion / reinstatement a nice gesture.
Let’s face it, most who will criticize him for “being an addict” and “blowing his chances” sit on their phone / computer for 4 or more hours a day, watch Netflix endlessly, or participate in some compulsive/addictive/escapist behaviors.
Ah yes, if you binge Netflix you are no different than the crackheads. Very apt comparison there, my friend. You sound very knowledgeable and we should all heed your wisdom.
@mattcubs you will find that 60% here lack empathy because they don’t know the difference between it and sympathy.
30% spout things they be afraid to say in person and just do it for “likes”
9% can’t see their own flaws as they judge others
And 1% are just bad people
Natergater falls into the 9%, btw
Amen, brother.
Apparently he has recovered 16 times, and counting.
If I’m the Steelers I take a look. No one has stepped up and an injury to Johnson doesn’t help
If I’m the Steelers, and I dealt with the public relations nightmare that was Antonio Brown a couple years ago, I disconnect the phone until Gordon has signed somewhere else.
At this point can’t this story just be a thread that is updated every time he’s suspended/reinstated?
Sure, if you want to set the Internet record for most updated news thread.
People that call addiction a sickness are dumb. If u smoke u get cancer, if u snort crack you get addicted. Actions and consequences people.
Crack -> Smoke
Coke -> Snort
But yeah, addiction is a real thing.
People who are too lazy to write out “you” are many times more likely to be unaware that the medical and scientific communities have both defined addiction as a disease, also known as a sickness. But maybe I should take your word for it instead?
Since u have so much time on ur hands too be the grammar police, I would love to hear a coherent explanation as to why it’s a disease? Cancer from smoking is also a disease, if that’s what u mean I’m all the way with u.
It took me around 30 seconds to Google “addiction disease” and verify what I knew already, that addiction is usually classified as a brain disorder and mental illness. Please feel free to do so yourself.
It can be a combination of both, I think we know that. Walking into it is your choice, walking out not so much. There should, all joking aside, be a combination of support and demanding responsibility (which is one of the first things that must happen in recovery-you can’t help an addict who first does not want help) from people in order to beat-or control, rather-addiction. It’s hard to maintain compassion and a desire to help as you watch someone make terrible choices, but the difficulty in feeling the need to make those choices on his/her behalf is what makes recovery so difficult. As long as the addict denies the presence of the addiction, however, recovery will be impossible and consequences will deservedly pile up.
Seriously? You can’t taunt a guy but it’s ok if he spends a game check or two on illegal substances..
I wouldn’t say being suspended for more than half of your career is “okay” necessarily.
I didn’t know his 12th reinstatement was part of the 12 step program…
Buccaneers sign Josh Gordon
Being reinstated doesn’t mean he’ll get signed anywhere. The dude is now old and few teams want a player that might again be suspended at a moment’s notice.
Steve Howe thinks Josh has gotten too many chances.
Great comments and discussions about what team he fits on guys…..
Ironically it seems the Browns could need some healthy receivers with OBJ’s nagging injury and Landry is now on the IR as well.
WFT?
Broncos?
Saints?
Well, in this case, Gordon’s history is relevant. Whatever team signing him must first operate with the consideration that he is likely to suddenly miss significant time.
If that was set aside, yes, I could see a couple of those teams considering him as a reserve Aldon (because that is what Gordon is at this point in his career). I doubt Denver would go for it; even with Jeudy hurt, they still have three quality players in Hamler, Patrick, and Sutton at the moment. WFT may do it, but I get the feeling that they’re content to roll with their current guys, no matter how much they could use a big possession receiver. The Browns are in win now mode, so a Gordon rental could make sense until they get reinforcements, but really I’d not put it past the Bucs to bring in yet another All-Pro on a minimum deal.
100$ says the Seahawks sign him back up.
Lions need a WR…why not?