The Seattle Seahawks are once again being linked to Josh Gordon after news broke of the receiver’s NFL reinstatement. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the NFL informed Gordon that he has been reinstated and is expected to be eligible to play for a team as soon as Week 4.
Gordon is a free agent but his last two NFL stints came with the Seahawks. ESPN 710 Seattle’s Jake Heaps noted the Seahawks are “definitely entertaining” signing Gordon for the third time.
“I could see the Seahawks after trying to make this work twice moving on but the Seahawks are definitely entertaining bringing Josh Gordon back for a third time,” Heaps tweeted after the Gordon news broke on September 24.
Carroll on Potentially Bringing Back Gordon: ‘I’ve Always Been on That Topic for Him’
During his September 24th press conference, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll was asked about the chances of the team re-signing Gordon. Carroll appeared surprised by the news and initially declined to comment about the team’s potential interest. The Seahawks coach admitted he thought Gordon deserved “another chance.”
“I’m not going to say much about that,” Carroll told reporters. “I haven’t heard all that yet. I’ve always thought a lot of Josh and had a feeling for him. He’s been a local kid as well. You know, been around the area and stuff. We’ll see what happens. Just like everybody, deserves another chance. Hopefully, if that’s what’s going on [reinstatement], that’d be great for him.”
The News Tribune’s Gregg Bell asked Carroll if he had discussions with Gordon about a potential reunion as the Seahawks granted the receiver his release to play in the Fan Controlled Football league over the offseason. Carroll admitted he has “always been on that topic for him” referring to Gordon potentially playing for the Seahawks.
“I’ve never not talked about that with Josh,” Carroll responded. “I’ve always been on that topic for him. I’m sorry, I don’t have enough information to say much of anything at this point, but I’ve always felt that way. So, we’ll see what happens.”
Here is a look at Carroll’s recent press conference addressing the Gordon rumors.
Gordon Played 5 Games for the Seahawks in 2019, His Last NFL Appearance
Gordon only played five games for the Seahawks in 2019 before being suspended indefinitely by the NFL. The Seahawks re-signed Gordon again during the 2020 offseason with the hope that the receiver would be reinstated.
After a lengthy delay, Gordon was reinstated last December only to be suspended once again days before he was set to take the field in his 2020 debut. The NFL revealed in January that Gordon was once again suspended indefinitely. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted that Gordon “beat the odds” after the league indicated when the receiver was reinstated last season that he was unlikely to receive an additional chance if he had another setback.
“Josh Gordon got strong indications last year that he faced one more strike and another setback would make it incredibly tough to get back into the league,” Fowler tweeted. “Looks like he beat the odds in a major way here.”
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that Gordon’s status with the league was once again impacted by the receiver sustaining a “setback in his battle with substance abuse.”
“Seahawks WR Josh Gordon had a setback in his battle with substance abuse and now won’t be allowed to practice or play indefinitely, per sources,” Pelissero tweeted on December 22. “As @bcondotta reported, the NFL informed the team this morning Gordon hadn’t complied with terms of his conditional reinstatement.”
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Seahawks Break Silence on Josh Gordon Rumors