Josh Gordon stepping away from football; faces possible suspension

Josh Gordon is taking a leave of absence from the New England Patriots as he focuses on his mental health and facing a possible new suspension.

Patriots leading receiver Josh Gordon tweeted Thursday that he would be stepping away from the football field to focus on his mental health. He went on to thank Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft, his teammates, and his fans for their support.

The news coincides with reports that Gordon could be facing yet another suspension – and possibly a permanent one – in the wake of a failed drug test.

The talented wide receiver has had a long and troubled history of substance abuse throughout his playing career, both in college at Baylor and then as a professional with the Cleveland Browns. The hope was that a change of scenery, combined with Belichick’s tutelage and a winning Patriots team culture, might be enough to turn Gordon’s career around for good.

And for at least his first 11 games with New England, that appeared to be the case. Gordon paced all Patriots receivers with 720 receiving yards through last Sunday’s loss to Pittsburgh, and figured to carve out an even bigger role as the Patriots moved toward their annual playoff push and a potential Super Bowl run.

Now, both Gordon and the team will have to readjust on the fly.

New England released a short statement on Thursday acknowledging Gordon’s departure to focus on his mental health.

The immediate repercussions are clear: Josh Gordon won’t be playing in the NFL anytime soon, and the Patriots just lost one of their most dynamic offensive threats.

The more long-ranging consequences are still to come. There is significant speculation that Gordon could be permanently banned from playing in the league ever again, as punishment for violating the terms of his conditional reinstatement.

More details surrounding the nature of his failed drug test and the NFL’s reaction to it will inevitably come to light; it’s no longer a matter of ‘if’ so much as ‘when.’ One thing is for sure, though – this story is just getting started.