Josh Gordon suspended indefinitely by NFL

The NFL has suspended indefinitely Seahawks wide receiver Josh Gordon for violating league policies on performance enhancers.

Gordon was reinstated by the NFL in August after having been suspended indefinitely in December 2018, missing the final three games of last season for violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.

A 2012 second-round draft pick by the Cleveland Browns, Gordon was also suspended for the first two games of the 2013 season for a substance abuse policy violation but still caught 87 passes for nine touchdowns and a league-leading 1,646 yards and was voted to the All-Pro team.

He has been in and out of the league since, was released by New England earlier this season and signed with Seattle in November.

Arbitrator rules against Jaguars in grievance with NFLPA

Tom Coughlin tried to fine former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler more than $700,000 for missing “mandatory” appointments with a team trainer or physician.

It was just one example of how Coughlin has run roughshod over players since his return to Jacksonville, according to the players’ union.

The NFL Players Assn. filed a grievance on behalf of Fowler and other Jaguars players, challenging the club’s right to discipline players in those circumstances. An arbitrator recently ruled in favor of the NFLPA, negating the fines levied by Jacksonville in 2018.

The union responded by blistering the Jaguars in a statement.

“This is just one of the many grievances we had to file to protect our players from the Jaguars’ actions,” the NFLPA said. “The decision puts a stop to the blatant overreach by the Jaguars and emphasizes the voluntary nature of almost all football activities during the offseason.”

The arbitrator affirmed that the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement does not allow teams to require rehabilitation or medical appointments be held at team facilities during the offseason.

Coughlin and the Jaguars allegedly tried to require injured players to rehab at the facility. When players failed to attend the sessions, the club disciplined them.

Fowler, who was not named in the NFLPA’s news release and was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in October 2018, was fined 25 times for missing those appointments.