Josh Gordon is suspended indefinitely
Josh Gordon’s troubled NFL career may officially be over. The NFL announced on Monday that Gordon had been suspended indefinitely for violating the league’s substance abuse and performance-enhancing substances policies. It is the sixth time Gordon has been suspended since entering the league in 2012 and the fifth suspension related to illegal substances.
Gordon’s substance abuse issues have been a well-known shortcoming for the talented receiver since before he even entered the league. Gordon has admitted to using drugs and alcohol, even in football games, back in his high school days in Houston.
Gordon was suspended twice during his time at Baylor University — both times for marijuana-related offenses.
Despite off-the-field struggles, Gordon has always displayed raw talent at the wide receiver position. In his rookie season with the Cleveland Browns, Gordon finished with 805 yards and five touchdowns on 50 receptions, making him one of the top rookie receivers.
He followed his rookie season with a league-best 1,646 receiving yards in 2013. He managed to lead the league despite missing the first two games of the season to serve a suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.
This would, unfortunately, become the story of Gordon’s NFL career. An undeniable talent that is overshadowed by behavioral issues. Over the next five seasons, Gordon would play just 22 NFL games, serve an additional four suspensions, and voluntarily walk away from the league twice to deal with his personal issues.
Half of the 22 games in that span came a season ago with the Patriots. Gordon racked up 720 yards and three touchdowns on 40 receptions in eleven games with the Patriots during the 2018 season. It seemed that the former Brown had found some traction with the successful New England organization. However, on December 20th it was announced that Gordon was being suspended indefinitely once more for violating the terms of his conditional reinstatement.
Still, the expectations for Gordon heading into the 2019 season were higher than they had been in years. Gordon was reinstated in August of 2019, and he was given a chance to try to regain the rhythm that he and Tom Brady began developing the prior season.
Despite inflated expectations, Gordon racked up 287 yards in six games for the Super Bowl champions before being waived from the team in October following a knee injury.
Gordon would land in Seattle in November, and would provide some impactful offense for his new team.
A pair of big third-down completions helped propel the Seahawks past San Francisco in their epic Monday night showdown.
This past Sunday, Gordon reeled in seven completions for 139 yards including a crucial 58-yard grab which set up a touchdown. The win clinched a playoff spot for Seattle.
Monday’s news came as a crushing blow to not only Gordon’s career, but to the Seahawks and their coach Pete Carrol.
“Our heart goes out to Josh having to face this again,” Carrol said. “The fact that he’s up against it and all poses a great challenge to him. Fortunately, he’ll have the benefit of all of the league’s resources to support him and to help him. We’ll wish him the very best in taking care of business. It’s very unfortunate.”
Coach Carrol has indicated that the team had no reason to believe that Gordon was still struggling to stay sober.
“We saw Josh really at a really high level the whole time he was here. The work ethic he brought was one, but he’s getting along with people and being good to work with and to talk to and all of that and to deal with on a regular basis, really he was great. We were not aware that there was anything to be concerned about other than the history, which we knew about.”
The league has not specified which substances were the cause of Gordon’s most recent suspension.
-By: Jonny Hart
Writer/Interviewer