NFL rejects Gordon’s reinstatement bid

Josh Gordon won’t be riding to the rescue of the Browns anytime soon.

A source said Thursday the NFL denied the reinstatement petition of the suspended wide receiver, but he can reapply in the fall. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation, did not know the specific date this fall Gordon could file for reinstatement again.

USA Today first reported Gordon’s bid for re-entering the league had been rejected. Gordon applied for reinstatement on March 1, his business manager, Michael Johnson, told ESPN then.

Gordon, a 2013 All-Pro selection, has missed 43 of the past 48 games because of recurring violations of the league’s substance-abuse policy. He hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game since Dec. 21, 2014, and it’s unknown whether Commissioner Roger Goodell will ever reinstate him.

BleacherReport.com reported Gordon spoke to Goodell in the past few days and was told to reapply for reinstatement in September.

In March, ESPN reported Gordon had been training under former Olympian sprinter-turned-speed coach Tim Montgomery in an effort to resurrect his career.

But last month, Gordon generated headlines for more off-field drama. News surfaced about him being sued by a woman who’s trying to establish paternity and child support for her 2-year-old.