Josh Gordon, Wes Welker suspensions could be reduced

There has been some backlash towards the NFL in regards to some of their drug suspensions in the wake of the two-game ban Ray Rice got for hitting his fiancee. Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon got banned for the whole season for marijuana showing up on his drug test.

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Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker was also banned for four games for use of amphetamines.

Their suspensions could be reduced as the NFL and the NFL Player’s Association work towards a new drug testing policy, that would include testing for human growth hormone, which has never before been tested in the NFL.

From Pro Football Talk:

"As Mike Florio reported on NBC, Welker, Gordon and potentially other players in the midst of suspensions could benefit from a new drug testing policy that the owners and players could agree upon soon."

Now the new drug test would impact their respective suspensions differently. The proposed new policy would re-label amphetamines as a recreational drug moving it from the performance-enhancing substance policy to the substance-abuse policy. The first time offender of the PED policy gets an automatic four games, where as the other substance abuse policy carries no suspension.

The threshold on marijuana tests would rise as well, and since Gordon’s test was just barely above the threshold for his test would be a negative under the new policy. The NFL’s threshold is insanely lower than other organizations, including the one that the Olympics uses.

Of course they would have to agree to enact it retroactively, which still isn’t a given.

Source calls it "possible" for Josh Gordon, Wes Welker suspensions to be overturned or reduced if NFL, NFLPA agree to drug-policies deal.
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) September 5, 2014

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Josh Gordon, Wes Welker suspensions could be reduced or ‘go away completely’ if the NFL and NFLPA agree on new drug policy

By Mike Dyce | Sep 4, 2014