Josh Gordon Reinstated by NFL, Suspended 4 Games: Details, Comments and Reaction

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon is reportedly on the verge of becoming an NFL player again.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport on Monday, the league plans on reinstating Gordon and then suspending him for the first four games of the regular season. Rapoport noted the 25-year-old would be eligible to work out with the team in training camp, and he'll also appear in the Browns' preseason games.

Rapoport shared a letter NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote to Gordon:

Adam Schefter of ESPN spoke to Drew Rosenhaus, Gordon's agent, who said the wide receiver will be able to remain with the team during his suspension. Schefter added additional comments from Rosenhaus:

"

The last few times Josh was suspended, he couldn't be with team, and that was counterproductive. This is a great change, the fact that he can stay with the team during the suspension. Commissioner Goodell believes the ability for Josh to work with the team during his suspension will help him. He went outside the norm in this case.

"

"I’m blessed and grateful to be granted this opportunity," Gordon said in a statement (via Rand Getlin of NFL Network). Gordon added:

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I can’t wait to get back out there and play the game I love in front of the great fans of Cleveland. I want to thank the NFLPA, Commissioner Goodell, the Haslam family and the Browns organization, my agent Drew Rosenhaus, as well as my mentors for their continuous support along the way. I’ve heard only good things from my teammates about the positive direction the organization is heading and I want to do everything I can to be there to help further that process not only for the team but to better myself as well. Thank you.

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Schefter noted that players "suspended for PEDs or personal conduct must stay away from team; but there has been some leeway given to players on substance abuse suspensions, and [Goodell] deemed [Gordon] one of those cases."

Despite Gordon's reinstatement, Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reported that Gordon is on "thin ice" with Browns management:

"With the league's decision to afford Josh the opportunity to resume his career, he will be with us for the start of training camp," Sashi Brown, executive vice president of football operations, said in a statement from the team. "At that time, we will discuss directly with Josh the direction of our team, our expectations of our players and a plan to support him on and off the field."

"He, in earnest, wants to make the most of this opportunity," Brown added on Thursday, per Hayden Grove of the Associated Press. "We're going to give him that opportunity."

"He's going to have to be accountable to what it is he needs to do," Browns head coach Hue Jackson added Thursday, per Andrew Gribble of the official Browns website.

"His slate's clean with....hit the restart button. He has to go do it," Jackson expanded, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III, speaking to Josina Anderson of ESPN, said Gordon is "family" and that he is "happy for him."

When asked if Gordon can stay on track after his reinstatement, Griffin said he believes Gordon "can if he wants to. We will all be there for him."

Gordon was a supplemental draft choice for Cleveland in 2012. For a while, it appeared he'd go down as one of the biggest steals in the draft's history. He was named to the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro first team in 2013, leading the NFL with 1,646 receiving yards. He became the first player with back-to-back games of 200 or more receiving yards and set the all-time record for most receiving yards over a four-game span.

But for the greatness Gordon brought in on-field skills, he brought just as much frustration off the field. He was suspended two games during the 2013 campaign due to an NFL-mandated suspension and spent the following offseason finding more trouble. A failed drug test initially brought on a season-long suspension before it was reduced to 10 games, and Gordon was also arrested for DWI in North Carolina.

Returning to the team before its Week 12 contest in Atlanta, Gordon got his 2014 season off to a 120-yard start, and all appeared to be righting itself. Then, his play fell off a cliff, the Browns suspended him for Week 17 due to a missed walkthrough, as Mike Garafolo reported for Fox Sports, and whispers of a trade started circulating.

Gordon all but eliminated his trade value when a league-mandated drug test came back positive for alcohol. The resulting controversy made him a burden that many thought Cleveland could no longer take. Character issues allowed him to become available when he did, but the one-year suspension, coupled with Gordon's continued unwillingness to comply with the league's drug policy, filled his resume with red flags.

"Since that day that the suspension was announced, in a sense I was kind of relieved," Gordon said in December, per Pat McManamon of ESPN.com. "I was distraught and embarrassed, but I was like, 'Man, I've been ripping and running too much, too fast.' I needed to slow down. I'm glad that somebody gave me a quick kick in the ass to let me know what's real and what's not."

Gordon applied for reinstatement in April but was denied. ESPN.com reported a drug test administered by the league came back diluted, which qualifies as a positive test.

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