Following Friday’s announcement that wide receiver Josh Gordon has been conditionally reinstated by the NFL, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick released a statement on the situation.
“For the past eight months, Josh’s situation has been entirely a league matter,” Belichick said Saturday. “When Josh returns to our program, we will evaluate the entire situation and do what we feel is best for Josh and the team.”
Gordon caught 40 passes for 720 yards with three touchdowns in 11 games with the Patriots last season, and they’re shallow at wide receiver, so it’s easy to project the 6-foot-3, 225-pound pass-catcher as a starter in New England’s offense. But given Gordon’s unreliability, this situation isn’t so simple for Belichick and the Patriots.
Gordon can report to the Patriots on Sunday but can’t play in a game until Week 4 of the preseason.
