Josh Gordon, the talented wide receiver whose career has been derailed by repeated violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy, wants to return.
Gordon is hoping to play this season, ESPN reports.
Whether he can or not depends on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who will make the decision on whether Gordon is reinstated from his current indefinite suspension. Although the new Collective Bargaining Agreement ends the policy of suspending players for positive marijuana tests, it does not provide amnesty for players like Gordon who were serving suspensions at the time the new CBA was adopted. Gordon will have to demonstrate that he’s committed to staying sober to convince Goodell to reinstate him.
The other question facing Gordon is whether any team will want him. Although he had an outstanding season for the Browns in 2013, and a pretty good season for the Patriots in 2018, he didn’t play particularly well in 2019, getting cut by the Patriots midway through the season and then managing just seven catches in five games with the Seahawks before he was suspended.
For his part, Gordon hinted that if he can play, he’d like to return to Seattle.
“Idk if I’m allowed to be a free agent, but if I was; I like those bright green uni’s,” Gordon wrote on Twitter.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll spoke favorably of Gordon after he was suspended, so Seattle might be the right place for him. But he can’t play anywhere without permission from Goodell.