Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon already has two strikes against him after testing positive for codeine in February, and could get kicked out of the NFL for at least a year if he fails a third drug test, league sources said Saturday.
Gordon's two-game suspension and four-game fine for the codeine -- which he said was contained in cough syrup prescribed for strep throat -- means he was already in Stage Two of the NFL's substance abuse program.
For a player to be suspended, he must have violated the policy at least one other time. That means that Gordon -- who failed three marijuana tests in college and was dismissed from Baylor and Utah -- has tested positive at least five times since October, 2010.
Gordon's positive test in February likely pushes him into Stage 3 of the program, according to league sources, where he faces banishment from the NFL for at least one calendar year if he fails another test.
This is something dynasty owners should be concerned about, but those in redraft leagues can be pretty sure that Gordon will serve his two game suspension and stay on the straight and narrow for the remainder of the season. The codeine incident sounds like a fluke, though he has a long history of failed drug tests.
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