At the start of Friday’s press conference, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick addressed the big news from Thursday, which of course was that Josh Gordon has once again been suspended by the NFL — indefinitely.
Belichick didn’t have a ton to say — he rarely does about these types of situations — but did lament the “unfortunate” turn of events. He said he’s had a lot of conversations with Gordon over the past three months and that he and the entire Patriots organization wishes Gordon the best as he deals with his “personal matter.”
Here’s Belichick’s entire statement, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss:
Bill Belichick opens his news conference with remarks on Josh Gordon. pic.twitter.com/mPCrvCUEJB
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 21, 2018
For his part, Gordon issued a statement Thursday in which he said he’s stepping away from football again to focus on his mental health. He also thanked Belichick, owner Robert Kraft and the rest of the organization for “their continued support.”
Gordon, of course, missed two full seasons on the suspended list, and from 2014-18 appeared in just 11 games as a member of the Cleveland Browns.
When healthy and able to contribute on the gridiron, he’s shown himself to be among the league’s best. Unfortunately, the young man has struggled in this regard as mental health issues have been the overriding force throughout his NFL career.
By: Jesse Reed
