The New England Patriots got some great news and an absolutely huge boost recently when wide receiver Josh Gordon was reinstated.
However, he's not ready just yet – as he was placed on the NFI list according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.
This could mean the bare minimum. Gordon possibly hasn't passed his physical yet meaning he isn't allowed to practice. With that in mind, he could be back at any time if this is the case. Once he passes his physical, he'd be able to participate fully.
However, this could mean a number of other things. The Patriots could want to ease him back into things. He's clearly a step behind everyone else as he missed a chunk of last year and hasn't been with the team yet this season. If this is the case, Gordon's return will have to wait until Bill Belichick believes he's ready to return.
It could also mean that Gordon isn't physically ready. You could argue this is the same as either of the other two reasons but it's not.
Gordon could've passed his physical but still not be where the Patriots want him. Meanwhile, not being physically ready could still be different from New England wanting to ease him in. Easing him in could have a lot more to do with things such as getting reacquainted with the offense and finding his role again.
Either way, this is something we'll probably learn more about in the coming days and could be resolved very quickly. This is simply a formality and the New England Patriots should still be extremely happy to have Josh Gordon back. He was once an elite receiver in the NFL and could return to form with Tom Brady and Belichick by his side.
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