The NFL began the week by reinstating Browns receiver Josh Gordon on a conditional basis. The Browns, despite a somewhat tepid statement issued in the wake of the news, are on board with the return of Gordon.
The NFL has ended the week by reinstating Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan. The ball is now in the team’s court.
With Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald pointing out that the NFL leaked the news to national reporters (league employees) before telling the Dolphins, it’s possible the Dolphins aren’t quite as on board with the move as the Browns are with Gordon.
The team’s position will be known soon. With a $1.7 million roster bonus due on Monday, the Dolphins will have to trade him or cut him to avoid paying him the money.
So while it had appeared that the league was still doing the team a favor by not ruling on Jordan’s request for reinstatement, the NFL did the team no favors by lighting a fairly short fuse.
Surely, the Dolphins have planned for this possibility. If they haven’t, it’s time to come up with a plan. Because if they don’t want a guy who was drafted under a different regime, they need to make speak now or owe Jordan $1.7 million.