We might be seeing Wes Welker and Josh Gordon back on the football field a lot sooner than expected.
The NFL is in the process of finalizing a new drug policy — a policy that could go into effect as soon as this weekend, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Friday on WEEI’s “Middays with MFB.”
“Here’s the deal, basically: They’re going to vote (Friday) afternoon at some point, by early evening, on a new drug policy,” Schefter said. “The feeling is it’s going to pass. I think there’s a basic, tentative agreement. But each of the player reps will have to vote on it. And once that happens, they can coordinate the vote later (Friday), they get the results, assuming it passes, there’ll be a new drug policy. And part of that agreement will be to have many of the suspensions under the performance-enhancing device policy, the PED policy and the substance-abuse policy, they will wind up being reduced or going away.”
Welker, who was suspended four games after testing positive for an amphetamine, would immediately regain his eligibility under the new policy, though Schefter doubts he will suit up Sunday for the Denver Broncos’ matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. Gordon, meanwhile, would have his yearlong suspension reduced to eight games, according to Schefter.
“There’ll be different circumstances in each player,” Schefter said. “We’ll have to find out how it affects each one.”
Schefter was not positive about how the new agreement would affect New England Patriots cornerback Brandon Browner, who also is in the midst of a four-game suspension.
“I think (Browner’s) violation may have occurred prior to the agreement, so I don’t know how he’s impacted,” Schefter said. “My guess — just a guess, and I haven’t asked anybody this — is that he won’t be impacted by it. But I don’t know it.”
Currently, Browner is eligible to return in Week 5, when the Patriots host the Cincinnati Bengals.
Photo via Tim Reitman/USA TODAY Sports Images
