Browns WR Josh Gordon Hasn’t Applied For Reinstatement

Pro Football Talk is reporting that suspended Browns WR Josh Gordon has not applied for reinstatement into the NFL.

Former Olympian Tim Montgomery, who has been working with Gordon, said a month ago that he expects Gordon to return at some point during the 2017 season.

“He’s coming,” Montgomery told Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I think he’s going to be there this season.”

Gordon is still in rehab but he is hoping to have his suspension lifted soon after he’s released on Sept. 21.

“He’s been clean, so we’re hoping after 90 days he’s reinstated and they put him back in the league, which it looks like they’re going to do that,” said Montgomery.

Montgomery believes Gordon was denied reinstatement this past May because he missed his mandatory drug tests.

“It’s my understanding that Josh was clean, but that he wasn’t answering his phone,” said Montgomery. “Josh would go somewhere and he wouldn’t tell anyone he was going out of town and he wouldn’t pick his phone up. He didn’t want to tell his people ‘I can’t come out there because I’ve got to stay here and answer the phone for drug tests.’”

Jason Cole of B/R reported in August that Gordon checked himself into rehab two months ago in cooperation with the NFL and was hoping to reinstated in late September.

Back in May, the NFL denied Gordon’s reinstatement petition, but said he would he will be able to re-apply for reinstatement to the NFL later this fall, so this fits that timeline.

Last year, Gordon made the decision to enter rehab after what was described to him as a “slip-up” or a potential violation of drug and alcohol policy. Mary Kay Cabot later reported that Gordon checked into rehab because of an alcohol problem.

Gordon, 26, is a former second-round supplemental pick of the Browns back in 2012. He would have already been an unrestricted free agent had he not missed so much time due to suspensions, but the Browns hold his rights for two more years, given that he has just two accrued seasons.

In 2014, Gordon appeared in five games and caught 24 passes for 303 yards receiving, but didn’t score a touchdown.

We’ll have more regarding Gordon’s return to the NFL as the news is available.