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The NFL has allowed one of the most talented receivers, Josh Gordon, to play again after being reinstated this week for the first time since the 2019 season.
Josh Gordon, a second-round pick in the 2012 NFL Supplemental Draft, was suspended from the league for using performance-enhancing drugs and violating the league's policy of substance abuse. Since joining the NFL in 2012, it marked the fifth time Gordon was suspended.
His reinstatement came on September 24 after he applied to return to the league in July. At the moment, Gordon is free to sign with any team, and he can play as early as week 4.
Why was Josh Gordon suspended by the league so many times?
Josh Gordon has a well-documented problem with marijuana since his college days. He was suspended by head coach Art Briles following a failed drug test in 2011. He declared for the 2012 NFL supplemental draft a year later.
Drafted by the Cleveland Browns, Gordon was a star right away. He amassed 805 yards during his first season and 1646 in his second, where he was voted as an All-Pro receiver. His undeniable talent was evident, but that was when his old problems also began to resurface.
He was suspended for the first ten games of the 2014 season after violating the league's substance abuse policy. Gordon was then suspended for the entirety of the 2015 and 2016 seasons, after his applications to be reinstated were rejected by the league because of his 'conditional' violations.
He finally returned in 2017, but received another suspension from the league the year after. At that time, he was a New England Patriots player. His latest suspension from the NFL came in early 2021. That came a day after he was reinstated by the league, when it was discovered that he violated the terms of his conditional and was suspended indefinitely.
Josh Gordon's career
Gordon will forever be a case of 'what if?' because of his immense potential that never panned out for off-field reasons.
He has 4252 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns, modest numbers considering the prowess he showed at the start of his career. His best year came with the Cleveland Browns in 2013. Even though the Browns were poor that year, Gordon was voted as a First-Team All-Pro.
Gordon has also played for the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.
