Josh Gordon is again awaiting Commissioner Roger Goodell's decision on his future.
Gordon on Wednesday submitted his letter for reinstatement to the NFL, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported, per a source informed of the situation. Gordon has been running routes in Seattle in preparation for a return to the NFL with the hope he can have his indefinite suspension lifted in time for training camp, Pelissero added.
Gordon was suspended in December after five games with the Seahawks for violating the NFL's policies on performance-enhancing substances and substances of abuse, his fifth league-imposed suspension in eight years (the Browns also suspended him in 2014). Gordon was suspended indefinitely twice for such violations, first in 2018 and again near the end of 2019.
"Josh had a lapse because of his brother's death," Gordon's lawyer, Adam Kenner, told Pelissero regarding his client's last suspension. "That set him back. But since that time, he has realized how important it is for him to take the right steps, do what's proper, and understand how to manage these issues. He's installed the right team around him to make sure he's on the right path. He understands he's been given every chance. He looks forward to making the most of this."
The receiver has been through the application for reinstatement process before and has even been denied reinstatement once in 2017 before being approved in November of that year.
Despite his many struggles with staying on the field, Gordon is still a year shy of 30 and is hoping to find a way back onto an NFL field. He's been in the league since 2012 but has only played in 63 games (50.8 percent of a possible 128 career games), meaning he shouldn't have as much wear and tear as a typical 29-year-old receiver.
When healthy and available, Gordon has proven capable of making significant contributions for his team, leading the league in receiving yards in less than a full season in 2013. Gordon was named a first-team All-Pro for that campaign and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl in the following season before missing the entirety of the next two seasons due to suspension. He also compiled the fourth-most receiving yards in his first two seasons in NFL history, trailing only Odell Beckham Jr., Randy Moss and Jerry Rice.
Because of a lack of availability, Gordon hasn't broken 1,000 yards since, but his flashes of greatness displayed in the small spaces of time in which he's played have always left those watching wondering what could be. He might get yet another chance to prove it this fall.
