Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon has been suspended for the season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He met with appeals officer Harold Henderson, but was unsuccessful in reducing the penalty.
According to reports, Gordon told the league that his positive drug test was the result of second-hand marijuana smoke. He noted that his failed ‘A’ sample was only one nanogram per milliliter higher than the league’s limit of 15 nanograms, and that his ‘B’ sample measured below the limit at 13.63 nanograms.
Gordon has a long rap sheet in terms of violent team substance rules; in college he reportedly failed drug tests on at least three occasions. In 2013, Gordon served a two-game suspension for a drug violation. He led the NFL that year with 1,646 receiving yards. He averaged 117.6 yards per game in 14 games played. In May, he was stopped for speeding in Strongsville, OH, and a passenger was cited for marijuana possession. He was charged with drunk driving in July in Raleigh, NC.
In a statement, Gordon said,
“I am very disappointed that the N.F.L. and its hearing office didn’t exercise better discretion and judgment in my case,” Gordon said in a statement. “I would like to sincerely thank the people who have been incredibly supportive of me during this challenging time, including my family, my agent, my union, my legal team and the Cleveland Browns staff.”
The penalty comes a full three months after reports emerged that Gordon would be suspended for a year. In a statement, the NFL said,
“Appeals officer Harold Henderson has upheld the suspension for the 2014 NFL season of Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. The suspension is effective immediately.”
According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, Gordon was exploring the possibility of playing in the CFL, but Gordon’s contract would not allow him to play for another league. Moreover, a CFL official said that Gordon would not be able to play because they are prohibited from signing a suspended player that is under contract elsewhere.
Featured image via flickr/Erik Drost
