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NFL notebook: WR Gordon suspended again

[December 17, 2019] Just five games and seven catches into his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks, wide receiver Josh Gordon was suspended indefinitely without pay Monday for yet another violation, this time of the NFL's performance-enhancing substances and substances of abuse policies.

This is the sixth suspension for Gordon in his eight NFL seasons.

Gordon was first suspended two games by the NFL for violating the league's substance-abuse policy in 2013, one year after his rookie season. After an arrest for driving while impaired in 2014 he was suspended again, this time for one year, but that punishment was reduced to 10 games under the NFL's revised drug policy.

Suspensions continued for Gordon through the remainder of his time with the Cleveland Browns and once he joined the New England Patriots in 2018. The Patriots placed him on injured reserve after a knee injury in October and eventually waived him. The Seahawks claimed the former second-round pick on Nov. 1.

Gordon, 28, has 247 career receptions for 4,252 yards and 20 touchdowns over 63 games in eight seasons.

--Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin's availability for the rest of the season is in doubt after he sustained a hamstring injury in Sunday's 38-17 victory over the Detroit Lions, NFL Network reported.

The wideout, who was carted to the locker room after running a route and failing to the turf in the third quarter, was quickly ruled out by the team. He will reportedly undergo an MRI on Tuesday to determine the severity of the injury. Godwin, 23, has 86 catches for 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns this season, his third in the NFL.

--With the Houston Texans likely playoff bound, the team will not rule out the possible return of veteran defensive end J.J. Watt before the season ends.

Watt suffered a torn pectoral muscle in an Oct. 27 game against the Oakland Raiders. Texans head coach Bill O'Brien told reporters Watt has put himself in a position to possibly return.

"I'm going to tell you that J.J. is working very, very hard," O'Brien said. "And he's certainly made progress based solely on his work ethic and who he's working with in the training room. And we'll see how it goes."

--After losing defensive end Alex Okafor for the season to injury, the Kansas City Chiefs claimed former Arizona Cardinals linebacker Terrell Suggs off waivers, multiple media outlets reported.

Citing a source, ESPN reported Okafor sustained a torn pectoral muscle Sunday, when the Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos 23-3. Okafor has 22 tackles, including five sacks, in 10 games this season, his seventh year in the NFL but first with the Chiefs. He has missed four games due to injuries with the Chiefs.

--The New Orleans Saints have claimed cornerback Janoris Jenkins off waivers, multiple outlets reported. The move comes three days after the New York Giants waived Jenkins after he tweeted a slur toward a fan who had been critical of him earlier in the week.

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Seahawks wide receiver Josh Gordon (10) catches a pass against Carolina Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson (26) during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants waived him with an injury designation after he suffered an ankle injury last Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles.

--The NFL Players Association won a grievance against the Jacksonville Jaguars through an NFL arbiter after the team had fined players for missing offseason appointments with a trainer or physician.

According to ESPN, former Jaguars linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. was fined as much as $700,000 by the team for missing appointments during the 2018 offseason. Fowler, who reportedly filed a grievance on the matter, was traded to the Los Angeles Rams during the 2018 season and contributed to the team's Super Bowl run.

The players association sent a letter to players saying that offseason activities are voluntary, although there are limited exceptions. Teams are not allowed to mandate attendance at medical appointments on site during the offseason, or in the period just before training camp.

--Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy insisted there is no rift between himself and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.

Trubisky questioned parts of the offensive game plan following Sunday's 21-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers, but Nagy chalked it up to frustration after an emotional setback.

--The Carolina Panthers are expected to make the move to rookie quarterback Will Grier on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, with Kyle Allen heading to the bench, according to an NFL Network report.

Grier, the Panthers' third-round selection in the 2019 draft out of West Virginia, has not appeared in an NFL game. The 24-year old finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2018 after throwing for 3,864 yards, 37 touchdowns and eight interceptions at West Virginia.

--Los Angeles Rams cornerback Troy Hill will have surgery to repair a broken thumb and still plans to play on Saturday at San Francisco, according to an NFL Network report.

Hill suffered the injury in the first half of Sunday's 44-21 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys. The Rams are on the brink of elimination from the playoffs, needing to win their last two games, while the Minnesota Vikings lose their final two, in order to advance.

--Field Level Media

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