Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are getting a major, and unexpected, boost to their 2019 season, as wide receiver Josh Gordon is reportedly getting reinstated by the National Football League. The news was announced late last week, as he still missed the second preseason game, but returned to the team's practice facility on Sunday. He was once again suspended on December 20th for violating the terms of his previous reinstatement under the league's substance-abuse policy.
The team is going to wait on Gordon to have a sufficient amount of practice and conditioning before allowing him to play in the preseason. He is eligible to return for the regular season opener in September, but they would like to get him on the field before then to get some reps in live action. He does have the support of both his team, and even the league, as commissioner Roger Goodell claimed that "we are all rooting for Josh to succeed."
Gordon has a long history of getting suspended for substance abuse issues, dating back to his time with the Cleveland Browns, which began in 2012. He was drafted by Cleveland, and is very dangerous when on the field, but he has missed a lot of time, including the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons. He was reinstated in 2017, even after admitting to drinking and using marijuana before games. He was then dealt to the Patriots and played in 11 games for them this past season, catching 40 passes for 720 yards and three touchdowns. He did sign a tender to remain under contract through the 2019 campaign, and it is now a scary thought to have him paired with Brady for an entire season.
The team is going to wait on Gordon to have a sufficient amount of practice and conditioning before allowing him to play in the preseason. He is eligible to return for the regular season opener in September, but they would like to get him on the field before then to get some reps in live action. He does have the support of both his team, and even the league, as commissioner Roger Goodell claimed that "we are all rooting for Josh to succeed."
Gordon has a long history of getting suspended for substance abuse issues, dating back to his time with the Cleveland Browns, which began in 2012. He was drafted by Cleveland, and is very dangerous when on the field, but he has missed a lot of time, including the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons. He was reinstated in 2017, even after admitting to drinking and using marijuana before games. He was then dealt to the Patriots and played in 11 games for them this past season, catching 40 passes for 720 yards and three touchdowns. He did sign a tender to remain under contract through the 2019 campaign, and it is now a scary thought to have him paired with Brady for an entire season.
