Suspended New England Patriots receiver Josh Gordon applies for reinstatement

Suspended New England Patriots receiver Josh Gordon has applied for reinstatement, according to multiple reports on Saturday. The 28-year-old receiver is serving an indefinite suspension, which the NFL levied in December after the latest of several violations of the NFL-NFLPA substance abuse policy. If reinstated, Gordon could give the Patriots a much-needed outside threat.

The oft-suspended Gordon has had a roller coaster NFL career since joining the league in 2012. He has flashed All-Pro ability; in 2013 he caught 87 passes for 1,646 yards (which led the NFL) and nine touchdowns. But he also missed all but five games from 2015 through '17 because of suspension. Last season he caught 40 passes for 720 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games with New England before the December suspension ended his season.

In February, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported Gordon was making progress in rehab and "could be back by [training] camp." Two months later, the Patriots re-signed Gordon to a one-year, $2.025 million contract, giving more ammunition to the reinstatement conjecture.

In June, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady raised eyebrows when he posted a video on Instagram of him throwing a football to an unknown pass catcher on a grassy athletic field. Multiple news outlets later identified the receiver in the video as Gordon. Brady added the following caption to the video: "Practice makes perfect."

The video and caption fueled speculation that Gordon could be reinstated. But after the Brady video was posted, a spokesman for the NFL told Jeff Howe of The Athletic that the league did not have any update on Gordon's status.

If Gordon is reinstated before the season, he could provide a boost to the Patriots' passing game. New England is trying to replace the receiving production of former tight end Rob Gronkowski, who announced his retirement in March. In May, the team drafted Arizona State receiver N'Keal Harry with the 32nd pick of the first round.