Josh Gordon recently applied for reinstatement and will now wait to see if and when the NFL will allow him to return, but his New England Patriots teammates have made it clear they would be happy to have him back. In fact, they appear to be saving his jersey for him.
Gordon wore No. 10 with the Patriots last season, and rookie first-round pick N’Keal Harry was initially listed as having that number for the team’s preseason opener against the Detroit Lions last week. However, Harry ended up wearing No. 8 during the game. ESPN’s Mike Reiss noted over the weekend that Harry’s switch could be interpreted as Gordon’s teammates letting him know No. 10 is waiting for him.
Gordon was suspended once again toward the end of last season for another violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy, and the Patriots have been operating as if he will not return this year. At the very least, he will probably be facing a multi-game suspension. Some recent commentary Bill Belichick made on the subject might lead you to believe the Pats are trying to move on from him, but there’s a reason they signed extended him a restricted free agent tender last offseason and kept him under contract.
Anything Gordon can give the Patriots this season would be a bonus, but it would not be a surprise if they are holding his locker for him. They’ve done everything they can to support him with his addiction struggles since acquiring him in a trade with the Cleveland Browns, and they will likely continue with that going forward.
