The NFL is not considering the reinstatement of former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, according to commissioner Roger Goodell. Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Goodell said Gordon’s reinstatement is “not under active consideration to my knowledge." The commissioner added that reinstatement hasn’t gotten to his desk yet. The commissioner responded when asked about Gordon at a fan forum in Cleveland. In May, the NFL denied Gordon’s petition for reinstatement. The 26-year-old wideout submitted his petition in March to have his indefinite suspension lifted.
Gordon was suspended indefinitely last season for repeated violations of the league's substance abuse policy. Multiple suspensions have caused Gordon to miss 43 of the Browns’ last 48 games. He last played on Dec. 21, 2014 in the Browns’ 17-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Gordon made immediate impact
A second round pick by the Browns in the 2012 Supplementary Draft, Gordon made an immediate impact in his rookie year, recording 50 catches for 805 yards and five touchdowns. In 2013, the NFL suspended Gordon for two games for violating the substance abuse policy but the suspension didn’t stop him from leading the league in receiving yards that year with 1,646. The Browns currently have Kenny Britt, Ricardo Louis and Jordan Payton as wideouts.
Last season, they signed quarterback-turned-receiver Terrelle Pryor Sr. to a one-year deal. After tallying 1,007 yards and four touchdowns for the Browns, Pryor signed a one-year contract worth $8 million with the Washington Redskins.
Browns want to host 2019 or 2020 NFL Draft
The Browns, together with the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, have formally submitted their application for the hosting of the 2019 or 2020 NFL Draft in Northeast Ohio.
If the Browns are selected, Cleveland and Canton will host the three-day NFL Draft. It will coincide with the league’s 100th season in 2019 or centennial in 2020 after its establishment in Canton, Ohio on Aug. 20, 1920.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said Northeast Ohio could be the ideal place for the NFL Draft, as the place was deeply rooted in football even before Jim Brown, Paul Brown, Otto Graham and Lou Groza became household names.
Philadelphia hosted the 2017 NFL Draft after it was held in Chicago in the previous two years. In 2010, the NFL turned the Draft into a three-day format, with primetime broadcasts on Thursday and Friday night.