Josh Gordon Has Explored Playing In CFL

10:08am: According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter), the Calgary Stampeders hold Gordon’s CFL rights and “want him badly.” That may not matter much though, since it seems as if the Browns and the CFL itself will dictate whether Gordon gets an opportunity to play in the league.

9:26am: Now that his appeal has officially been denied, Josh Gordon won’t be playing a game in the NFL during the 2014 season, but it sounds as if he and his camp are mulling other possible scenarios. According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Browns wideout has explored the possibility of playing in the Canadian Football League for the rest of the CFL’s season.

Considering Gordon is still under contract with the Browns through 2015, it would be nearly impossible for the 23-year-old to actually land with a CFL team. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com points out (Twitter link), the league’s rules wouldn’t allow Gordon to sign with a team unless the Browns were to cut him (and even then he’d have to pass through NFL waivers). Cleveland could potentially ask the CFL to make an exception to that rule to allow Gordon to play up north, but Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says (via Twitter) that the team isn’t interested in granting him permission to pursue that opportunity.

Now that Gordon is not permitted to practice with the Browns or attend team meetings, getting him under the support system of another professional coaching staff may have been in his best interests, so it’s not surprising that his camp has looked into the possibility. However, we shouldn’t expect to see the star wideout wearing a Toronto Argonauts or Montreal Alouettes uniform anytime soon.