Josh Gordon reportedly applies for NFL reinstatement
98.5 The Sports Hub staff report
Free agent wide receiver Josh Gordon has submitted his letter applying for reinstatement to the NFL, according to multiple reports, and first reported by the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Suspended for the sixth time in his NFL career last December, the 29-year-old Gordon is trying to work his way back from what was another violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. It was Gordon’s fifth such violation since the 2013 season, and was met with an indefinite suspension for the second time in a calendar year, with his first (and only) suspension as a Patriot coming in Dec. 2018.
But according to Gordon’s attorney, Adam Kenner, this latest relapse came following the death of Gordon’s brother in November.
“Josh had a lapse because of his brother’s death,” Kenner told Pelissero. “But since that time, he has realized how important it is for him to take the right steps, do what’s proper and understand how to manage these issues. He’s installed the right team around him to make sure he’s on the right path. He understands he’s been given every chance. He looks forward to making the most of this.”
Reinstated from his previous indefinite suspension in time for the 2019 regular season, Gordon totaled 20 catches and 287 yards in six games with New England before the Patriots placed him on injured reserve and then waivers, where he was scooped up by the Seahawks. In Seattle, Gordon hauled in seven of his 11 targets for 139 yards before that Dec. 16 suspension put him out of commission for Russell Wilson’s offense.
If reinstated, Gordon, who played on a restricted free agent tender in 2019, will be a free agent for the first time in his career.
On the field for seven NFL seasons between the Browns, Patriots, and Seahawks, Gordon has totaled 247 catches, 4,252 yards, and 20 touchdowns in 63 career games.
Click here for 98.5 The Sports Hub’s complete coverage of the NFL.