Eight months ago, the NFL indefinitely suspended Josh Gordon for violating the terms of his reinstatement under the league’s substance abuse policy. His 2018 season therefore ended in disappointed after it had represented a renaissance of sorts: Gordon was traded from the Cleveland Browns to the New England Patriots in September, and he immediately started to show tremendous personal and athletic promise in his new environment.
However, it all came to an abrupt end on December 20. First, Gordon announced that he would step away from football to focus on his mental wellbeing.