Josh Gordon was once one of the most talented young receivers in the NFL. The Cleveland Browns' second-round pick in the 2012 Supplemental Draft led all pass-catchers with 1,646 yards as a sophomore back in 2013.
Due to numerous off-field and substance-abuse issues, the 30-year-old Gordon has played in a combined 33 games since.
Suspended by the NFL back in January, Gordon has now officially applied for reinstatement and hopes to be with a team when training camps get going later this month.
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted in his report, the NFL has randomly drug-tested Gordon over the past three months with him passing all of the tests. That’s some great news for the veteran receiver.
Whether the NFL reinstates Gordon and he actually signs with a team is a completely different question.
Gordon suspension timeline
- June 2013: two games
- August 2014: Entire season
- December 2014: One game
- January 2015: Entire season
- July 2016: Four games
- December 2018: Indefinitely
- December 2019: Indefinitely
- January 2021: Indefinitely
This would almost literally be the definition of Gordon being given a 10th chance by the NFL.
After suiting up for the Cleveland Browns from 2012 through part of the 2017 season, Gordon played 17 games with the New England Patriots and appeared in five outings with the Seattle Seahawks before they released him during the spring.
The former Baylor standout has not appeared in an NFL game since the 2019 season. In 63 career outings, he’s recorded 247 receptions for 4,252 yards and 20 touchdowns.
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