New England Patriots: 5 NFL careers even Bill Belichick couldn’t save

Josh Gordon almost worked for the New England Patriots…almost

This one may be more about the entire NFL than it is about Bill Belichick, but wide receiver Josh Gordon tops this particular list as the biggest NFL career the new England Patriots coach couldn’t save.

After trading a fifth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for a re-instated Gordon, the Patriots had themselves a lethal downfield weapon for Tom Brady as long as he could stay both clean and health.

It was quite a risk given Gordon’s history with substance abuse, but again, the one organization many around the league thought could get through to the talented receiver were the Patriots.

Everything was fine and dandy for a while.  During that 2018 season, Gordon formed some chemistry with Brady as he hauled in 40 receptions for 720 yards and 3 touchdowns.  There were no off-the-field issues or relapses reported until the final week of the season when Gordon decided to walk away due to reported personal issues.

Later, it was discovered that Josh Gordon did indeed violate the league substance abuse policy and was once again suspended.

Re-instated prior to the 2019 NFL season, Gordon played the first six games with the Patriots before being released by the team.  He then signed with the Seattle Seahawks where he played just five games before being suspended by the league once again.

Unlike the previous players on this list, Josh Gordon was at least trending towards a revival before his own personal issues got in the way.  During his time in New England, Belichick along with his Patriots teammates praised his work ethic on and off the field.

Unfortunately, with everyone pulling for him, Josh Gordon just couldn’t pull things together, which is too bad because during that 2018 season, there was hope he could emerge as a No. 1 option for Brady.  It just happened to be unreliable hope.