Patriots wide receiver Josh Gordon announced in a tweet that he's stepping away from the team to focus on his mental health, thanking the Pats organization, coach Bill Belichick, and owner Robert Kraft.
"I take my mental health very seriously at this point to ensure I remain able to perform at the highest level," he said in the tweet. "I have recently felt like I could have a better grasp on things mentally. With that said, I will be stepping away from the football field for a bit to focus on my mental health."
Gordon recently violated the terms of his reinstatement under the substance abuse policy of the league, a source tells NFL Network's Tom Pelissero:
The medical director of the league's substance abuse policy lays out terms, and it's unclear what portion of those terms Gordon violated. Pelissero says an indefinite suspension as early as today could happen because the league is already pretty far along the path of whatever consequence might result from the violation. Gordon is unlikely to play again this year, as ESPN's Dan Graziano notes.
The Patriots have issued a statement respecting the privacy of Gordon and supporting him as he moves forward.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says the Pats have known this was happening for a while now and it's affected them on the field.
This isn't the first time Gordon has suffered a setback in his ongoing battle with addiction, but we hope it's his last.
