According to a report Friday from ESPN’s Outside the Lines, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon is facing a season-long suspension from the NFL for testing positive for marijuana which would violate the league’s substance abuse policy.
According to T.J. Quinn and Don Van Natta Jr. of ESPN, after being reached by telephone Friday Gordon said “That’s something you’re going to have to talk to [agent] Drew Rosenhaus about. I really don’t know anything about it.”
Asked about whether Gordon or his agent would dispute the test, Gordon said “I’m going to have to find out about that later. You need to call Drew.”
According to Outside the Lines, Rosenhaus said the allegation was “not true.”
If Gordon did indeed test positive for marijuana, this would be his second offense under the NFL’s program and policy. Last year in his second season, Gordon was suspended for the first two games for a positive test for codeine and that another failed test would result in a one-year suspension.
In college, Gordon had two incidents involving marijuana in October 2010 and July 2011. The first incident involved an arrest for marijuana at a Taco Bell restaurant (charges later dropped) and the second involved a positive test for marijuana. The Cleveland Browns gave up a 2013 2nd round draft pick to select Gordon in the supplemental draft hoping that he had put his past indiscretions behind him.
The risks of drafting Gordon initially paid off for the Browns. Among the top receivers in the 2012 rookie class, Gordon finished with 50 catches, 805 yards and 5 touchdowns. In 2013, despite being suspended two games, with 1,646 yards, Gordon finished the season as the NFL leader in receiving yards. Gordon also finished with 9 touchdowns and set an NFL record as the first receiver with over 200 yards in consecutive games with 237 and 261. Gordon was named as a First-Team All-Pro. All of this explosive production was done without an established top-line quarterback in Cleveland.
A suspension of Gordon of any length of time will have serious consequences. First, the Browns may have to draft differently this year. While it is likely they knew about this development before yesterday’s trade of a high draft pick of a top receiver and the subsequent draft of Johnny Manziel later in the first round, the Browns may have to draft a wide receiver earlier than they had originally planned.
Second, newly drafted quarterback Manziel will not have the explosive receiver available for all or some of the games. It seems probable that with a talented quarterback at the helm for 16 games, Gordon could easily become the best receiver in the NFL. Such a loss would affect Manziel’s success and production as well.
Last, a year-long suspension for marijuana use by Gordon or any player may have to be viewed in context with other legal developments in the nation. Admittedly, not many will support Gordon for jeopardizing his own career by allegedly using marijuana after a suspension last year and two previous incidents in college.
However, there are changes occurring legally with two states legalizing marijuana use in the past year (ironically the states where the two teams in the last Super Bowl are located). Lesser suspensions for NFL players based upon accusations and/or convictions of far more serious offenses such as domestic violence may be deemed unjust in light of the growing legality of marijuana use. In addition, the medical benefits of marijuana use are becoming more relevant in a league where serious injuries are prevalent. Roger Goodell and the NFL may have to consider this changing landscape when reviewing Gordon’s alleged transgressions in this case.
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Mandatory Credit: Ron Schwane-USA TODAY Sports
