Josh Gordon Doesn't Deserve Reinstatement Despite Possible Drug Policy Changes

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon's reinstatement is a very real possibility with a new NFL drug policy potentially on the horizon. Based on Gordon's actions and comments, however, he doesn't deserve to be bailed out.

Gordon was suspended for the entire 2014 season after violating the league's substance-abuse policy. The NFL's decision was somewhat controversial since Gordon's sample was barely over the threshold for a positive test. The Pro Bowl receiver went on to claim that second-hand smoke was to blame for the positivity.

Even so, the suspension was upheld. Most seemed resigned to the notion that Gordon would be lost for all of 2014, but things may be changing. A new drug testing policy is in the works, and Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk is reporting that it could wipe out suspensions levied against players such as Gordon.

With that said, Gordon's suspension getting overturned is far from guaranteed since his positive test is from last year, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

Also, it remains to be seen if a new policy will be ratified. Per Rapoport and Albert Breer of NFL.com, the NFL Players Association tabled the vote on Tuesday as they continue to work toward an ideal compromise.

Among those who expect to see Gordon on the field at some point this season is Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland:

That would obviously be great for the Browns, their fans and even fantasy football owners, but it certainly wouldn't be beneficial to Gordon in the grand scheme of things.

Is the NFL's current drug policy archaic? Perhaps, but the NFL has a set of rules that everyone must adhere to whether they are right or wrong. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Baylor product has violated the NFL's substance-abuse policy on at least three occasions.

He was suspended for the first two games of the 2013 campaign, which hurt his checkbook as well as his teammates. That should have been enough to alter Gordon's behavior, but it wasn't.

Rather than coming off as truly sympathetic and accepting responsibility for the positive test that resulted in a year-long suspension, Gordon has done nothing but deflect blame. Per Cabot, Gordon said in an interview with OnDecker that doesn't believe he has an issue.

"

Do I believe I have a drug problem? Definitely not. In this case, I was exposed to it from second-hand (smoke), and prior to I've been drug-free and have been staying that way. And this incident has been causing a backlash of negative attention and negative media of me being an addict or a junkie, or using drugs terribly too much, which is definitely not the case and I'd like to definitely have that out in the open and be clear with that for sure.

"

Even if Gordon is being 100 percent truthful about the second-hand smoke defense, he is still the one at fault. Gordon knew that he was subject to random drug testing, and he also knew that a lengthy suspension was possible in the event of another positive test.

It is hard to believe that a spontaneous marijuana party broke out around Gordon against his will. If second-hand smoke was the culprit, he put himself in that position. NFL players are held to a different standard and have to follow different rules than the general public. Gordon apparently hasn't come to that realization.

If all of that wasn't enough, Gordon was also arrested for driving while impaired in July. That proves his problems stretch beyond only recreational marijuana use. Even so, many are willing to give him a pass simply because they don't agree with the NFL's drug policy.

The validity of the policy and Gordon's accountability are two totally different things. Reducing or eliminating Gordon's suspension would pacify some, but it would also be a disservice to Gordon.

Being forced to stay away from the game that he presumably loves for a year may be the reality check that he needs to change for good.

Wiping away the suspension would validate all of Gordon's past transgressions, and it would do absolutely nothing to help him grow as a person.

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