JIM MOORE

Moore: The Seahawks should pass on Josh Gordon if he’s reinstated

Jun 19, 2020, 10:30 AM

Seahawks Josh Gordon...

2019 Seahawks WR Josh Gordon is seeking reinstatement to play in the NFL again (Getty)

(Getty)

Josh Gordon has applied for reinstatement to the NFL after being suspended last year for violating the league’s substance abuse policy for the eighth time and it appears that many 12s hope the Seahawks re-sign him in spite of his longtime issues that have cost him to miss more than three seasons in the league.

Why odds are good Josh Gordon will return and stick with the Seahawks

That’s because Gordon played well in his five games with the Seahawks last year. He had only seven catches, but most went for first downs, and his last one covered 58 yards at Carolina, a fingertip beauty that might have been the Seahawks’ best reception of the year.

But the next day he was suspended and missed the last two games and the two playoff games, and here we are, wondering if the Seahawks should bring him back again.

On the positive side, he would combine with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf to give the Seahawks one of the most explosive trio of receivers in the NFL. The Seahawks don’t really have a third receiver they can count on with David Moore and free-agent acquisition Phillip Dorsett being the most likely candidates now.

There are also those who believe that Gordon will stay clean this time.

“Josh had a lapse because of his brother’s death,” Gordon’s attorney Adam Kenner told NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero. “That set him back. But since that time, he has realized how important it is for him to take the right steps, do what’s proper, and understand how to manage these issues.

“He’s installed the right team around him to make sure he’s on the right path. He understands he’s been given every chance. He looks forward to making the most of this.”

And Jake Heaps said: “So if you’re a Seahawks fan wondering if you can count on Josh Gordon, just know that Josh Gordon is taking this extremely seriously and that he’s doing everything in his power to try and set himself up where he can be accountable and that he can stay on the straight and narrow for the Seattle Seahawks and for himself.”

Heaps added that his teammates love him and there’s “always been a feeling if Josh Gordon could come back, the Seahawks were definitely going to take a chance, thinking he would be a tremendous fit.”

Maybe so. He sure looked like a great fit last year, averaging nearly 20 yards a catch. But do you really want to go down this road again?

We don’t know what kind of drugs caused the suspension. If it’s marijuana, fine, bring him back. The league has relaxed its rules with that. But if it’s anything else, let another team sign Gordon.

He is the classic case of getting more chances than he deserves because of his amazing talent. If this were an ordinary player, even an above-average player, no one would touch him. And to all of this, you’re saying “duh.”

But when and where do you draw the line? And what makes his attorney and Heaps feel so certain that he’s solved his issues this time around? I’m fine with second chances, third chances, even fourth chances on occasion, but when you reach the eighth chance, you’ve used up all your chances in my book no matter how good you are.

From Gordon’s perspective, we think he wants to play for the Seahawks based on social media posts where he talks about how much he loves it in the Pacific Northwest.

That’s all well and good, but if I’m John Schneider and Pete Carroll, I’m moving on from the enticement of Gordon. I’m looking at developing John Ursua and hoping Dorsett might be the third speedster to complement Lockett and Metcalf. I also know that whoever the third receiver turns out to be, he will be more reliable than Gordon.

What if he’s suspended for a ninth time while the Seahawks are in yet another playoff push in December? Will you be talking about this again next year, saying it’s worth it to bring him in for another look-see?

Not me. There are reasons why so many teams passed on Gordon when he was cut by the Patriots and made available to the Seahawks last year.

He looks like he’s going to be available again, and this time the Seahawks should say good luck but no thanks to Josh Gordon.

Follow 710 ESPN Seattle’s Jim Moore on Twitter.

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Moore: The Seahawks should pass on Josh Gordon if he’s reinstated