Report: Patriots set to discipline Josh Gordon because of tardiness
The New England Patriots traded for talented but frustrating receiver Josh Gordon on September 17.
On October 29, exactly six weeks later, comes news that Gordon has run afoul of coach Bill Belichick’s rules and will be disciplined by the team.
Gordon will be benched for multiple series
Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Gordon will be kept off the field for “several series,” or likely the first quarter, of the Patriots’ Monday night game against the Buffalo Bills.
Rapoport tweeted that Gordon was being disciplined because of tardiness; Jeff Howe of The Athletic Boston added that Gordon was late to Gillette Stadium on Sunday for the team’s trip to Buffalo.
Gordon is expected to see his regular snaps after his punishment.
Gordon has caught on quickly in New England
On the field, Gordon has integrated himself into the New England offense quickly, something that doesn’t often happen, particularly with receivers that have little to no time to learn and pick things up, both in terms of the playbook and getting chemistry with Tom Brady.
But in four games, Gordon has 13 catches for 224 yards and a touchdown; his first touchdown with New England, a beautiful 34-yard pass, was the 500th scoring pass of Brady’s career. Last week against the Bears, Gordon had four catches for 100 yards, playing 61 of 64 snaps.
On Saturday, Brady raved about Gordon during his weekly news conference.
“The receiver position in our offense takes years for most guys to understand and learn nuances and intricacies of not only our plays, but how to get open within the scheme, how to gain my trust, and he’s done it in such a short period of time,” Brady said. “I don’t think we’re where we necessarily can be in the future if we just keep working hard at it.
“For him to play the role that he’s played is a credit to him, what he’s been doing and what his routine here has been. I know he’s got a lot of great support and everyone wants to see him do as well as he possibly can.”
Belichick does not abide tardiness
If there’s one thing Belichick doesn’t abide, it’s tardiness. He’s sent players home from the facility in the past for being late during a snow storm, so being late when the weather conditions aren’t so treacherous is, obviously, unacceptable.
Patriots beat reporters have produced several stories in recent days about how Gordon has responded to the structured atmosphere in New England and has used the help of teammates to find success on the field, but this is clearly a hiccup that conjures questions about whether Gordon is continuing to stay on the best path.
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