Josh Gordon Reportedly to File Grievance: Latest Details and Comments

Suspended Cleveland Browns All-Pro receiver Josh Gordon is reportedly doing what he can to keep his options open upon his hopeful NFL return.     

Gordon reportedly will file a grievance for his one-game suspension in Week 17 in the hopes of expediting his ability to become a free agent. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com reported the details:

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Per a league source, Gordon will soon be filing a grievance with the assistance of the NFLPA challenging the unpaid suspension for missing a Saturday walk-through practice before the regular-season finale against the the Ravens. The fight isn't about getting the game check; it's about getting credit for a sixth game in 2014 and in turn a year of credit toward free agency.

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Should he lose the grievance, Gordon must remain on the Browns until the 2017 NFL offseason, as opposed to hitting the open market as an unrestricted free agent in 2016 if he wins it.

The current suspension Gordon is serving runs for at least one year, per ClevelandBrowns.com's Andrew Gribble. The NFL has to allow him back onto the field when he applies for reinstatement in 2016.

Thus, there's no guarantee Gordon will be able to play football for even the next two years. Former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman was an AFC North standout who was spurned upon his request for reinstatement in 2007, and it effectively ended his NFL career.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com weighed in on the Gordon situation when news of his latest suspension surfaced:

CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora believes Gordon's days are numbered on the gridiron no matter what:

Even when he returned to the field in 2014 after serving a 10-game suspension, Gordon's rust showed. He didn't make the desired impact the Browns were hoping for from the 2013 NFL receiving champion.

It makes sense that Gordon is attempting to protect his interests. Given his history of off-field issues, though, he will have a lot to prove to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to warrant reinstatement.

If he isn't reinstated to play in 2016 but wins his grievance, interested teams will have to be patient with Gordon and hope that he doesn't slip up again while they await his return.

This grievance is a situation in which Gordon has little to lose. There's still a chance he can force his way out of Cleveland and flee its perpetually horrendous quarterback depth chart for a fresh start whether he's a free agent in 2016 or 2017.