Josh Gordon will be reinstated to the NFL after missing all of last season, the league announced Monday.
The Cleveland Browns wide receiver was denied reinstatement earlier this year after he reportedly failed another drug test with a diluted sample. He was allowed to reapply for reinstatement on Aug. 1, and he had a meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell earlier this month to discuss his potential return.
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Goodell wrote the following to Gordon on Monday:
“As we discussed at our meeting, as Commissioner, I want nothing more than to see you turn your circumstances around and succeed. Countless others including your agent, teammates and coaches, Mr. Haslam and the leadership of the organization, the Program professionals and Jim Brown also have pledged to provide you with every resource at their disposal. But as you acknowledged, ultimately, your future is your responsibility. I have every belief that you can make the right choices, but it will be up to you to do so.”
Gordon can participate in training camp for the Browns and will be allowed to play in preseason games, but will face a four-game suspension at the start of the season. During that time he will be allowed in team meetings, but can't participate in practices or games.
The question now is if the Browns want to keep Gordon. He's an incredible talent at the receiver position, but his constant off-field issues have become a source of headaches for an organization that cut ties with another troubled athlete — Johnny Manziel.
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Gordon reportedly gets along well with team owner Jimmy Haslam, but coach Hue Jackson will be the one who decides on the wideout's fate.
Per Cleveland.com:
A key meeting will be the one between coach Hue Jackson and Gordon. Jackson will help determine if Gordon fits the culture of accountability and winning that Jackson is trying to establish. But Jackson has a history of reaching players with a past, including Bengals cornerback Adam Jones. In Gordon, he'll find a player who's intelligent, introspective, artistic, and hardworking. It will be largely up to Jackson to decide if he thinks Gordon can stay clean.
His reinstatement is on a conditional basis, and he will be able to resume his NFL career "once arrangements have been confirmed regarding Gordon’s clinical resources in Cleveland."
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The good news for Gordon is if he remains with the Browns and makes his debut in Week 5, his return could well be overlooked. That Oct. 9 game will come against the New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady, who also apparently will be making his first appearance of the 2016 season that day after serving his own suspension.
