National Football League

Report: Browns preparing for at least eight-game ban for Josh Gordon

Published Aug. 6, 2014 3:01 p.m. ET

foxsports

Josh Gordon’s impending suspension has the Browns planning for life without their superstar receiver.

The Browns are preparing for at least an eight-game suspension, according to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot, citing a league source.

Gordon is awaiting a decision that should land within the next three weeks, the report said.

If Gordon wins the appeal, he’ll play without any interruption. If he loses the appeal, he’ll likely be banned from the league for a year. What’s may happen is both sides will find a settlement before a decision emerges.

A best-case scenario includes Gordon being suspended for eight games, the report said, but the Browns aren’t banking on it.

For now, Gordon continues to practice with the team and is scheduled to play in Saturday’s preseason opener against the Lions.

Gordon, the NFL's leader in receiving yards last season, is facing a possible indefinite suspension for a level three violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy. News of the violation and suspension first leaked in May, but the league has said nothing and the team has said little more than that in the months that have followed.