New England Patriots wide receiver Josh Gordon has released a statement ahead of the 2019 regular season, his first public statement since he was reinstated from his suspension in mid-August.
On Twitter, Gordon thanked his family, the NFL, and the Patriots organization for its unwavering support over the past year and discussed his intention to turn a new leaf. Gordon added he will be leaving the past behind and focusing on the future. At the end, he noted he was looking forward to contributing to the Patriots this season.
Gordon was suspended in December of 2018 after announcing his intention to step away from football to focus on his mental health. The NFL handed him an indefinite ban for violating the terms of his reinstatement.
That suspension was later lifted in August of this season when Gordon reached all of his requirements for the conditional reinstatement by the NFL.
Gordon played in 11 games for the Patriots in 2018, making 40 catches for 720 yards and three touchdowns. He was especially effective in play-action where he had 354 yards.
Suspension History
Josh Gordon has been suspended by the NFL on multiple occasions throughout his professional career. He missed the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons to suspension for violating the league’s policy on substance abuse.
That final suspension carried deep into the 2017 season when Gordon was finally activated in Week 13, playing in the final five games of that season. He spent much of the offseason ahead of the 2018 campaign focusing on his mental health.
Prior to that in 2014, Gordon missed the first 10 games of the season for the Cleveland Browns after being suspended for his driving while impaired arrest in North Carolina. After five games active, Gordon was again suspended by the Browns for a violation of team rules.
Pro Bowl Numbers
In 2013, Josh Gordon put together one of the all-time best seasons for a receiver in NFL history. He had 1,646 receiving yards and nine touchdowns with Cleveland that season on 87 receptions. He was named a First-Team All-Pro for his efforts despite playing only 14 games.
Gordon was selected to the Pro Bowl that season. He also became the first player to have back-to-back 200-yard receiving games in NFL history. During that two-game span, Gordon had 498 total receiving yards and even added 151 yards the following week against the Patriots.
That 2013 was a glimpse of what Gordon’s career could have been had he not been consistently suspended for his actions. Even as a rookie a year earlier in 2012, Gordon had 50 catches for 805 yards in his only 16-game season.
He set a franchise mark for the Browns with the most 100-yard receiving games in a season with seven in 2013 and his total yards for that season was also a Cleveland record.
If Gordon can rekindle the prowess he had in 2013 this season with the Patriots, it could be a huge step in his rehab and recovery as he proves his ability hasn’t wavered. Gordon has a solid supporting cast this season and one of the best quarterbacks in history throwing passes his way.
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Josh Gordon Releases First Statement Since His Reinstatement