The long drama of Josh Gordon’s reinstatement from a substance abuse suspension continues. The Cleveland Browns wide receiver applied for reinstatement, but the league denied his application, according to Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot. She reported Gordon can reapply in the fall, but there is no clear timetable for when he will be allowed back in. According to Cabot, “the league wants to see a longer period of sobriety for the oft-suspended receiver.”
Gordon has not played a football game since 2014. He could very well end up getting reinstated at some point, but with two full seasons, and potentially a third without football, it’s hard to see him doing much with his football career. He was a physical specimen while playing, so I suppose anything is possible, but his chances of being an impact player declined the longer he is suspended.
The NFL has clear rules about substance abuse, but it does not really jive with how they handle things like domestic violence and various criminal matters. Roger Goodell recently spoke about the dangers of marijuana, although it sounded more like someone who just got finished watching Reefer Madness than someone who actually has educated himself on the issues.
Speaking of which, I think it is a timely opportunity to post this video SB Nation put together talking about the absurdity of the NFL’s marijuana rules. As with any NFL decision-making, you can look at this in the context of money. They’ve got crazy revenue goals to reach, and this is one way for the league to extract more money from the players. Sounds about right.