NFL suspends Gordon; he says he’s taking break
New England Patriots receiver Josh Gordon was suspended indefinitely by the NFL on Thursday for a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. The suspension happened just hours after Gordon announced he was taking a break from football to focus on his mental health.
“Effective today, Josh Gordon has been returned to the Reserve/commissioner Suspended list indefinitely for violating the terms of his conditional reinstatement under the Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse,” the league said in a statement.
Gordon, who has been suspended multiple times for substance abuse, released a statement early Thursday saying that his departure from the Patriots was voluntary.
“I take my mental health very seriously,” he said. “At this point, to ensure I remain able to perform at the highest level. I have recently felt like I could have a better grasp on things mentally. With that said, I will be stepping away from the football field for a bit to focus on my mental health.”
In a brief statement, the Patriots said: “We support Josh Gordon in his continued efforts to focus on his health. His attempt to do so is a private and personal matter, which we intend to respect.”
The Patriots acquired Gordon and a conditional seventh-round draft pick in September from the Cleveland Browns for a fifth-round pick. The deal was a surprise to some because of Gordon’s checkered history and the fact that the Browns had been on the verge of cutting him before finding a trade partner.
Gordon’s issues began before he had made much of a name for himself as a player. After a fairly quiet rookie season in 2012, he was forced to sit out the first two games of the 2013 season because of a suspension for violating the substance abuse policy. Upon his return, he became an instant star, leading the NFL in receiving yards with 1,646 and scoring eight touchdowns.
That production, which included a two-week stretch in which Gordon, 22 at the time, amassed a combined 498 receiving yards, has essentially sustained him since in terms of faith from both team and fans; over the subsequent four seasons, he has played just 10 games total.
He missed 10 games of the 2014 season because of substance abuse issues, then all of 2015 and 2016, and most of 2017. In training camp with the Browns this season, he missed some time for mental health treatment and underwhelmed the team in terms of performance.
On Sept. 15, Cleveland announced plans to release the receiver with a statement from general manager John Dorsey that said, “Unfortunately we’ve reached a point where we feel it’s best to part ways and move forward.”
Gordon, 27, played in 11 games this season for the Patriots, picking up 40 catches for 720 yards and three touchdowns. He was the primary vertical threat for a team that otherwise relies on shorter passes.