Getty Josh Gordon has once again been reinstated by the NFL.
The Seattle Seahawks will finally be able to have wide receiver Josh Gordon back on the field. Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported that Gordon will be eligible to return in Week 16 for the Seahawks’ final two games of the season. Gordon will be permitted to join the Seahawks as soon as he passes the COVID-19 protocols, but will not be eligible to play until Week 16, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
“Josh Gordon reinstated, as @JayGlazer reported, and I’m told he can enter the Seahawks building as soon as Covid protocols met, though not cleared until Monday after Week 15,” Fowler noted on Twitter. “But he can get acclimated with the team before then.”
Realistically, this means Gordon could join the Seahawks as soon as Week 14 to become reacclimated to the team. Gordon will miss the Seahawks’ next three games but could see his first action in more than a year on Sunday, December 27 against the Rams.
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Gordon Can Rejoin the Seahawks as Soon as December 9
The NFL released a statement noting that Gordon can begin COVID-19 testing as soon as December 4 and if the receiver passes those tests he can rejoin the Seahawks on December 9, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson. Gordon will be unable to start practicing with the team until after Week 15 has been completed. The most recent example of this is what the Buccaneers did with Antonio Brown, who worked with Tampa Bay’s strength and conditioning team on the side during practices.
“NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell conditionally reinstated Seattle’s Josh Gordon, it was announced today,” the NFL statement detailed. “Gordon may begin COVID testing Friday, December 4 and may join the club on December 9 assuming negative tests. Gordon will be permitted to attend team meetings and individual meetings with coaching staff. He may also engage in individual workouts and strength and conditioning, but may not practice, travel with the team or attend games. On Monday, December 21 following the club’s Week 15 game, Gordon will be permitted to participate in practice and be eligible to play in the team’s final two regular season games.”
The Seahawks Admitted to Being in the Dark on Gordon’s Status
The Seahawks re-signed Gordon over the offseason with the expectation that the receiver would be able to join the team at some point in 2020. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll previously admitted the team was in the dark about whether Gordon would be able to play this season. Gordon’s reinstatement decision has taken longer than many NFL insiders expected as the receiver has seen the league clear several other players before getting to his case.
“We really don’t know and don’t have contact to speak of,” Carroll explained in October, per NBC Sports. “We don’t know any more than you do at this point. We’re just waiting it out for word from the league unfortunately.”
Gordon will be available for the Seahawks as the team looks to finalize their playoff positioning. It will be interesting to see where the receiver fits in as David Moore and Freddie Swain have played particularly well as the team’s third and fourth receivers. If Gordon’s social media posts are any indication, the receiver has kept himself in great shape during the layoff and was spotted working out with several Seahawks players over the offseason.
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Seahawks Receive NFL’s Final Decision on Josh Gordon’s Status