Josh Gordon will receive yet another chance. Three months after re-signing with the Seahawks, Gordon received notice the NFL reinstated him, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports tweets.
Another Gordon suspension ended his initial Seahawks stint in December 2019. Despite being connected to Antonio Brown throughout the offseason, Seattle ended up bringing Gordon back. He will have an opportunity to contribute this season.
The former Browns and Patriots starter will not be eligible to return until Week 16. He can begin taking COVID-19 tests with the Seahawks on Friday, rejoin the team Dec. 9 and resume practicing Dec. 21.
One of the most frequently suspended players in modern American sports history, Gordon has received bans in each of the past two Decembers for violations of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. The league’s new CBA created a more lenient reality for non-PED drug violations, but the 29-year-old wideout’s case dragged into December nonetheless. Gordon is a unique case. The former All-Pro has been suspended nine times since his NFL career began in 2012. While not all of those bans stemmed from the substance-abuse policy, most did.
Several frequent NFL policy violators have faded off the league’s radar, but Gordon has persisted in his pursuit to continue his career. He and Roger Goodell were in communication lately, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter), preceding the embattled talent’s latest reinstatement.
Gordon has not shown his peak form in a while, but he will supply Russell Wilson with another weapon as the Seahawks attempt to secure their first NFC West title since 2016. In 11 games with the Pats and Seahawks last season, Gordon caught 27 passes for 426 yards and a touchdown. His yards-per-catch average increased significantly, bumping to 19.9, in five Seahawks games. While Gordon did not finish the 2018 season, he collected a Super Bowl ring after averaging 18 yards per catch (40 catches, 720 yards, three TDs).
This year, the former supplemental draftee will join a team that has one of the NFL’s premier wide receivers. D.K. Metcalf has taken a noticeable step forward, leading the league with 1,039 receiving yards. Metcalf, Gordon, Tyler Lockett and David Moore stand to comprise one of the league’s top receiving stables entering the playoffs. Gordon has never participated in a playoff game.
Is this ever going to end? Either get with the times and don’t punish players for smoking weed, or stick with your final decision NFL
Time for the NFL to stop punishing pot users
It’s not legal everywhere and it Was not his only indiscretion. He had plenty of chances to stay clean and employed.
‘It’s not legal everywhere’
This is marginally irrelevant. Still, maybe it’s also time for the USA to stop punishing pot users.
agreed he’s had plenty of chances. it’s not about what’s legal outside the nfl but it’s about him breaking rules . he should receive a permanent ban
I would agree if beating women and assaulting them also resulted in lifetime bans. Antonio Brown, Kareem Hunt, Tyreke Hill all welcomed back to the NFL, but not Josh Gordon? Not only did they break the law, but they also broke the “rules” of the NFL. This punishment does not fit the crime.
And he also tested positive for PEDs, sooooo…..
If the NFL was smart they would be marketing a Josh Gordon “boomerang”. No matter how hard you try to toss it away…it always returns.
The rule is the rule. We shouldn’t run cover for an adult that is too irresponsible to follow the rules just because we think smoking marijuana shouldn’t be a punishable offense. It is punishable and Josh Gordon knows this better then anybody.
Grow up Josh.
But he can run really fast and catch really well so…
If I’m not wrong, the NFL no longer punishes pot smokers.
‘run cover’? It’s weed. It should have been removed as a punishable offense a long time ago, especially when you consider the physical toll the game takes on the players. Ludicrous that Gordon was ever even punished for this.
Its was/is a condition of employment. Can’t follow the rules, then you can’t expect employment
… Perhaps his contracts also had language where said he couldn’t use PED’s or smoke a simple join here and there, legal these days or otherwise…
Its just that the rules seem to be heavy handed toward pot smoking and pretty open minded about domestic violence
Whatever the under is on his relapse I’ll take it…..
Two things can be true:
Is it dumb weed results in suspensions? Yes
Is it dumb and immature to throw away tens of millions of dollars and a job in order to smoke weed when you know it’s against the rules? Yes
So instead of smoking weed before or after the game, he can show up and play while he is high?
I’m more concerned about him looking people dead in the eye and swearing he will not repeat his previous behavior, whether it’s weed or some other transgression.
Maybe after his next transgression he can book a 9 LIVES cat food commercial to try and recoup some of the dough he foolishly cost himself playing football.
The Seahawks don’t seem concerned about being looked in the eye and they are writing the checks. Sorry he offended you by lying to the Seahawks front office.
Just in time to be tested and suspended again!
If I remember right he was not just suspended for just pot. PEDs also.
The NFL/Goodell showed their stupidity or stubbornness a few years ago he said during his pre SB speech that the league is not sure of the long lasting effects on the body and they didn’t want to put anything on the approved list that would cause long lasting effects.
So pot could possibly be worse than Vicodin or Percocet? Is it straight up stupidity does the NFL get a kickback for the drugs they give the guys? I am amused they hand out these drugs like candy with no concern of addiction but pass on a drug that is not an addiction concern and with few side affects but your chips bill going up.
As for Gordon being on the team not my first choice. I agree with the guys above he knows about when they test lay the bong down for a few months. If you need a high go put $.50 cents in the Percocet machine in the locker room. Pretty dumb to lose all that money when he can go to the team Dr and get a script.
He won’t catch a ton of balls but he will take a defender off Lockett or DK. Which one do you single cover and which do you double? They both go deep and work the middle. Going to be a tough duo as they and Wilson get more comfortable with each other.
When you have been suspended as many times as Phillip Rivers has kids, you should have exhausted your chances of return..
Gordon: You let AB back in.
NFL: Touché, suit up
This must be an example of oppression for nfl players taken a knee lol, how many chances has this guy had? But yet he keeps getting to come back. Time to stand up and realize to do right, stay clean, stay alive, just do what your told when your caught messing up. Take responsibility for once.