Gordon’s bid for reinstatement denied

Spokesman: Gordon

can apply later in ’16

By MARY KAY CABOT

The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND

Josh Gordon’s petition for reinstatement from his indefinite drug ban has been denied by the NFL, a league spokesman told cleveland.com.

The Browns’ receiver can apply for reinstatement later in the year, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said.

McCarthy said the league has no timetable for the next application, but a league source said it’s Aug. 1, which is right after the start of training camp.

It means Gordon’s availability for the 2016 season is in serious jeopardy, because the league can still decide on his case “when appropriate’’ after his application. Normally, they try to make such decisions within 60 days, but it’s up the discretion of Commissioner Roger Goodell.

The league will need to see a serious commitment from Gordon to his program, including a possible stint in an inpatient rehab facility.

The news comes one day after Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports reported that Gordon had failed another league-administered drug test. Garafolo reported that Gordon tested positive for marijuana, and that both the A and B samples were also diluted, which means he may have tried to cover up the use.

The amount of marijuana in the samples was less than the 35 nanograms required for a positive test, according to the report. But a diluted sample that contains traces of a banned substance constitutes a positive test for a player in Stage Two or Stage Three of the program. Gordon is in Stage Three.

Gordon, who was indefinitely suspended in February of 2015 for a positive alcohol test and sat out all last season, had applied for reinstatement around Jan. 20, and the NFL generally rules on such matters within 60 days.

But Goodell said at the NFL Annual Meeting two weeks ago that he’d only meet with Gordon “if appropriate” based on an update he expected to receive from his staff in the next week or two. Garafolo reported that Goodell likely knew at the time that Gordon had failed the test.

Over the past month, the Browns have made it increasingly clear that they weren’t counting on Gordon for the 2016 season. The tone changed shortly after the NFL Combine in late February, where Browns Executive Vice President Sashi Brown said the club would welcome Gordon back if he were doing the right things.

Report: Johnny Manziel living with Josh Gordon in L.A.

But at the NFL Annual meeting last month, coach Hue Jackson admitted that he was game-planning without the All-Pro receiver.

“I always learned something a long time ago — you never worry about something you never had,” Jackson said. “I’ve never had any contact with him, so I’m going to plan on what’s in our building now and go from there.”

That same day, Brown grew weary of questions about Gordon in a small group setting with local beat writers.

“I would just say probably enough Josh chatter,” Brown said. “I know he’s intriguing but really for us, we’re focused on the guys that are on our roster and if Josh comes back, great, and if he doesn’t, we’re ready.’’

On Monday, after reports of the failed test surface, Gordon took to Twitter to indicate that it was a non-story.