For weeks, the NFL had nothing to say about the potential reinstatement of receiver Josh Gordon. Now, the NFL is saying plenty.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the NFL has denied Gordon’s petition for reinstatement. Per Cabot, Gordon can apply “later in the year.”
The report caps a 24-hour period in which protracted silence regarding Gordon ended in a major way. Gordon reportedly failed a drug test last month, and the league reportedly wanted to wait 2-3 months before reinstating him in order to see whether Gordon could stay clean during that time.
One source with knowledge of the application of the process for handling reinstatement requests after a minimum suspension of one year tells PFT that the issuance of a denial letter could mean that there was something more than one failed test, and that the league won’t simply wait another 2-3 months before reinstating Gordon. In at least one prior case, the NFL delayed reinstatement for a few months without issuing a decision denying the petition. By issuing a formal denial of the request, the door to his return is much more firmly and clearly closed.