Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon is continuing to pursue an opportunity in the Canadian Football League and the Calgary Stampeders are hoping he is successful.
Josh Gordon, CFL team explore options for suspended star
Josh Gordon’s efforts to play in the CFL while suspended from the NFL appear to have hit a snag.
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Calgary general manager John Murphy confirmed that the Stampeders have requested to have Gordon added to their negotiation list, according to Albert Breer of NFL Network. The request has been granted by the CFL, but it remains unclear whether this has any impact on an otherwise murky situation. The CFL has released a statement to Chris Mortensen of ESPN and Jason La Canfora of CBS explaining that the league will not permit Gordon to play because he is currently under contract with the Browns.
Despite this, Gordon's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, is negotiating with the Browns, the NFL and the CFL in an attempt to make this happen. Regardless, NFL rules stipulate that any suspended player who still has a valid NFL contract cannot be signed by CFL teams, so the only way that Gordon could sign with a CFL club is if the Browns officially released him.
In addition, the CFL closed a loophole that allowed Ricky Williams to play for the Toronto Argonauts while he was suspended by the NFL during the 2006 season, citing that the league made a mistake in allowing him to play.
Last year, Gordon led the NFL and set a single-season Browns record with 1,646 receiving yards despite missing the first two games because of suspension. Gordon will be the first player since Jim Brown to not play the season after leading the league in receiving or rushing yards, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Brown retired after leading the NFL in rushing in 1965.
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