Josh Gordon stepping away from Patriots, indefinitely suspended by NFL

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Patriots wide receiver Josh Gordon has announced he is leaving the team to focus on his mental health, releasing a statement through his twitter account Thursday morning.

"At this point to ensure I remain able to perform at the highest level. I have recently felt like I could have a better grasp on things mentally," Gordon said.

Gordon has caught 41 passes for 737 yards and four touchdowns this season.

The wide receiver was officially suspended indefinitely by the league after he announced he was stepping away.

"Effective today, Josh Gordon has been returned to the Reserve/Commissioner Suspended list indefinitely for violating the terms of his conditional reinstatement under the Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse," the league said.

Gordon has been suspended multiple times by the NFL for violations of its drug policies since being drafted by the Browns in 2012. Any sort of violation of NFL substance abuse policy could lead to a lifetime ban.

The Patriots tweeted a statement saying "We support Josh Gordon in his continued efforts to focus on his health. His attempt to do so is a private and personal matter, which we intend to respect."

Gordon has been public about his mental health and substance abuse issues, as he has said he started using marijuana, Xanax and codeine in middle school.

He has said that, while playing with the Cleveland Browns, he used to drink or smoke pot before games.

Dr. Joseph Shrand, a board-certified psychiatrist who specializes in addiction, says it's more important to see Josh Gordon the person, rather than Josh Gordon the football player.

"It's okay to say, at this point in my life, I need to focus on something else and it's going to be my mental health," Shrand said. "This is a chronic condition. Do we give up on people with diabetes? Do we give up on people who have high cholesterol? Of course not. Why should we think it’s any different for someone with a psychiatric condition?"

Patriots special teams captain and receiver Matt Slater said despite his suspension, Gordon still has support inside the Patriots locker room.

"My No. 1 concern is with him as a man," Slater said. "I'm thankful for the approach he took here, how he was as a teammate. I enjoyed getting to know him in that process and I'll continue to support him in any way I can."

Safety Devin McCourty said the 27-year-old's well-being is his biggest concern, not football.

"Life comes before all of that," McCourty said. "I think we wish him the best and care about that more than wins or losses."

Gordon said earlier this month he thought he was settling in well with New England, praising the organization for helping in his transition.

"It felt like home a long time ago," Gordon said. "The atmosphere is very welcoming. It took me a little bit to get acclimated to the area. Other than that, it's been pretty smooth so far, and that's due in part to the facility, the organization, just everybody helping me along the way."

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