Getty Josh Gordon was released by the Seahawks.
After signs pointed to Josh Gordon playing in his first game in more than a year, the Seattle Seahawks received word from the NFL that the receiver has not been cleared, per The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta. The Seahawks were expecting Gordon to be able to play against the Rams in Week 16.
“Per source, Josh Gordon and the Seahawks were notified today that he has not satisfied all terms of his conditional reinstatement,” Condotta noted on Twitter. “He may attend team meetings and individual workouts but he is ineligible at this time to participate in practices or games.”
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Gordon had a setback in his battle with substance abuse. This appears to put his future with the NFL in doubt given the receiver has violated the league’s substance-abuse policy on multiple occasions.
“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. “As @bcondotta reported, the NFL informed the team this morning Gordon hadn’t complied with terms of his conditional reinstatement.”
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Carroll on Gordon: ‘We’re Planning the Week Like He Has a Chance to Contribute’
The latest news is contrary to what the Seahawks were expecting as Pete Carroll praised Gordon’s conditioning heading into Week 16. Not only has Gordon not been given the green light for games, but the receiver also does not have permission to practice with the Seahawks. Earlier this week, Carroll indicated the team was expecting Gordon to play against the Rams.
“We’ve got to get him on the practice field and see what he looks like,” Carroll noted, per Seahawks.com. “He’s been working out really hard—I’ve been able to watch his workouts on video a couple times here to see that he’s in really good shape. He’s really big and strong too, so we’re excited to see how he does. We’re planning the week like he has a chance to contribute, so we’ll see. We’ll hold out a good hope and thought and see where it fits.”
Gordon Has Not ‘Satisfied All the Terms of His Conditional Reinstatement’
ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported that Gordon “has not satisfied all the terms of his conditional reinstatement.” The NFL suspended Gordon indefinitely in December 2019, and Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer previously reported the wideout would be eligible to play as soon as Week 16 based on certain conditions being met.
“According to a source, the NFL told the Seahawks and Josh Gordon today that Gordon has not satisfied all the terms of his conditional reinstatement, which means he is still not eligible to practice or play in games for the time being. @bcondotta first reported this,” Henderson explained on Twitter.
If Gordon did suffer a setback, it once again puts his NFL future in doubt. After Gordon was conditionally reinstated, Carroll reflected on the impression the receiver made on the team in 2019.
“I just had a chance to visit with him for the first time. We’ve been waiting for this for some time now and we’re really thrilled to be getting him back,” Carroll said, per Pro Football Talk. “He’s a really good kid. He really gets along with everybody. He’s just a sharp football player, hard worker, just a tremendously classy athlete. Everything comes easy to him. He’s just so fluid and just such a beautiful player. there’s been only [welcoming thoughts] waiting for him. He made a great first impression when he was here before.”
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