Before Josh Gordon became a Patriot, 49ers GM John Lynch was on the phone with the Browns about a possible trade for the former All-Pro wide receiver.
Cleveland ultimately traded Gordon to New England for a 2019 fifth-round draft pick. His season came to an end on Thursday.
Gordon went to Twitter Thursday morning to announce he is stepping away from football "for a bit" to focus on his mental health.
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https://twitter.com/JOSH_GORDONXII/status/1075759466065338368
Not even 15 minutes later, NFL Media's Tom Pelissero reported Gordon is facing another indefinite suspension from the NFL for violating the substance abuse policy.
That news has now been made official by the NFL.
Gordon's latest suspension adds to his long list of bans for substance abuse. He has been suspended four times since entering the league in 2012, with three of those times coming from a positive test. Gordon missed the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons.
The Patriots' gamble resulted in 11 games of Gordon where he totaled 720 yards and three touchdowns on 40 receptions. By comparison, the 49ers' leading receiver among wideouts is rookie Dante Pettis at 446 yards.
San Francisco 49ers
This season hasn't gone as planned for the 49ers, largely due to injuries. Their leading receiver from 2017, Marquise Goodwin, has only played in 10 games this year and has 366 yards receiving, down from his 962 last year.
Injuries to some veterans on the roster like Goodwin and Pierre Garcon, plus not bringing in another addition to the roster such as Gordon, has opened spots for Pettis and Kendrick Bourne. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has already expressed his high expectations for Pettis, who has shown promise in his last five games.
“He’s going to come back next year better or worse, and it better be better," Shanahan said on the 49ers' second-round pick.
More than anything, Gordon's mental health is what is most important for him now and in the future. As far as the 49ers' future at the position, they have found some young options, but must target a top name in free agency or the 2019 NFL Draft.