Now that the NFL has suspended Browns receiver Josh Gordon for a full year, the consequences of his Week 17 team-imposed suspension become more important.
Per a league source, Gordon will soon be filing a grievance with the assistance of the NFLPA challenging the unpaid suspension for missing a Saturday walk-through practice before the regular-season finale against the the Ravens. The fight isn’t about getting the game check; it’s about getting credit for a sixth game in 2014 and in turn a year of credit toward free agency.
If Gordon loses the grievance (and if he stays clean for the next year and secures reinstatement), he won’t be eligible for unrestricted free agency until after the 2017 season. If he wins the grievance, he’ll be only one season away from hitting the market.
Either way, Gordon must pass up to 10 drug tests per month for the next 12 before he’ll have any chance to return to the NFL.
