Over his first eleven games since being traded from Cleveland to the New England Patriots, Josh Gordon was terrific. He was on the field for 71.2% of the team’s offensive snaps, serving as the Patriots’ de facto third receiving weapon behind fellow wide receiver Julian Edelman and tight end Rob Gronkowski. In this role, he caught 40 passes for 720 yards and three touchdowns. In late December, however, his season came to an abrupt end.
After violating the terms of his reinstatement under the NFL’s substance abuse policy, Gordon received an indefinite suspension and announced that he would step away from the game to focus on his recovery.