Josh Gordon, Other Suspended Players May See Field In 2014 After All If,…
Josh Gordon’s car selling career is on hold. Gordon may suit up for the Cleveland Browns, after all.
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that The NFL and Player’s Association are in discussions that could change the current NFL drug policy and alter Gordon’s suspension. DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the Player’s Association, said that “If we get a deal done that covers players in this league year, I don’t like that we punish players under a deal active in the old league year,” Smith told 106.7 The Fan in Washington. “We don’t want players to suffer because the union and the league couldn’t get it done before the league year.”
Two unnamed sources claim that for Gordon’s, or any player’s suspensions to be modified, the new drug policy would most likely need to be completed before this weekend’s games are played. This could affect the suspensions of not only Gordon, but Denver wide receiver Wes Welker, Dallas defensive lineman Orlando Scandrick, Indianapolis defensive lineman Robert Mathis.
The two sides have been discussing modifying the threshold for what would constitute a positive test for marijuana, The Post reported. Gordon’s suspension, according to reports, resulted from a positive test for marijuana in which one of the two urine samples taken from Gordon was barely above the current level for a positive test; the other was below it.
Cleveland.com is reporting that the marijuana metabolite threshhold is being discussed, as well. The threshold for marijuana metabolites would be 50 nanograms per milliliter, according to Albert Breer of NFL Network. Gordon’s ‘A’ sample measured 16 ng/ml, meaning both of Gordon’s samples would have been ruled negative under the new guidelines.
However, even if Gordon is able to be reinstated, there still remains Gordon’s July 5th DWI arrest in Raleigh, NC, and the fact that Gordon had two previous drug suspensions, putting Gordon at stage three. Stage three players get suspended for one year if they have one more drug-related occurrence. A source has said if the new policy is adopted, Gordon could still return and face a two-week suspension in November. The new policy would suspend a player two games for a first-time DWI. Being Gordon’s first DWI, he would fall under the new policy, if adopted.
The new policy could alter players who were suspended for amphetamines, such as Welker and Scandrick. The new policy would change the infraction as a substance-abuse issue, not a performance-enhancing issue. Substance abuse issues that occur durring the offseason are usually not met with suspensions. Both Welker and Scandrick tested positive for amphetamines during the offseason. Mathis, who was suspended during the offseason, as well, may benefit from the new policy change, as well.
