Brady HendersonESPN
Josh Gordon‘s return to the field is on hold due to the NFL’s determination that the Seattle Seahawks wide receiver has not satisfied all the terms of his conditional reinstatement, a source confirmed to ESPN.
It is not known what terms Gordon failed to satisfy.
The source said Gordon and the Seahawks were notified of the issue Tuesday, a day before he was set to begin practicing. The Seahawks added Gordon to their 53-man roster on Monday. Coach Pete Carroll said the same day that Gordon had a chance to play Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
This was the first week in which Gordon was eligible to practice and play in games, provided he complied with the terms of his conditional reinstatement on Dec. 3. Gordon has been allowed to take part in meetings, individual workouts and strength and conditioning since then. He is still allowed to do so even with Tuesday’s developments, according to the source.
The Seattle Times first reported that Gordon’s return was on hold because he had not satisfied the terms of his conditional reinstatement.
The NFL’s transaction wire notes that Gordon was placed back on the commissioner’s exempt list Tuesday, one day after he was taken off it.
Gordon was allowed back at Seahawks headquarters on Dec. 9 after completing his COVID-19 testing. He tweeted that day that he was “excited as hell to be back amongst the family like this.”
With the Seahawks under the impression that Gordon was eligible to practice and play this week, Carroll said Monday that he was interested in seeing how the 29-year-old Gordon would fare in his first practices in a year.
“We’ve got to get him on the practice field and see what he looks like and all,” Carroll said. “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 are 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 was suspended indefinitely last December for violations of the league’s policies on performance-enhancing substances and substances of abuse. It was Gordon’s sixth suspension since the 2013 season and his fifth for some form of substance abuse, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Gordon’s attorney, Adam Kenner, confirmed to ESPN in June that Gordon’s latest suspension was the result of a setback he experienced after the death of his brother last fall. Gordon posted on social media on Nov. 11, 2019, the day he made his Seahawks debut, about losing his older brother.
