With the NFLPA closing in on a new drug policy and Browns receiver Josh Gordon for the year, Browns fans and fantasy owners are waiting impatiently for word on whether the #FreeJoshGordon concept will become a reality.
Per multiple sources, it’s still not clear when Gordon will return.
Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported on Sunday that Gordon will miss eight-to-10 games. Earlier today, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Gordon will miss eight.
On the surface, the new rules suggest Gordon shouldn’t be suspended at all. He tested at 16 ng/ml, one over the old limit of 15 ng/ml. With the limit increasing to 35 ng/ml, Gordon in theory should have his ban released completely.
One source tells PFT that Gordon’s suspension won’t be zero, due to other factors. Possibly complicating matters is that the positive triggering the one-year suspension occurred on March 5, six days before the date on which the league year began.
Gordon will now have a separate problem under the new substance-abuse policy, given the increased penalties for a first-offense DUI. Upon conviction, Gordon will be facing a two-game suspension.
But he could be months from conviction, which means that the suspension probably wouldn’t apply until the 2015 season. The bigger question for now is how the new policy will apply to Gordon’s current circumstances, and when he’ll be able to return to action.
