After being conditionally reinstated by the NFL ahead of the 2019 season, Gordon played in a further six games for the Pats, making 20 receptions for 286 yards and one touchdown, before being waived by the team from the injured reserve list. While he did put up good numbers for the team during his time in New England and he did receive a Super Bowl ring from the team following the Pats’ victory in Super Bowl LIII, Gordon’s substance abuse issues meant he played no part in that game and then was gone from the team again 13 months after first joining before being suspended indefinitely two months later for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs and substance abuse again.

Gordon clearly was capable of being productive within the Patriots’ offensive schemes though, and so, you have to wonder what could have been if it wasn’t for those issues. On this, it would also be good to know just how much the Patriots organisation did to help him tackle his issues with drug addiction too, and if they knew he was still dealing with addiction issues at the time of his second release, or was he simply viewed as someone that could help them on the field and the substance abuse was for him to deal with?

Finally, Antonio Brown played one game for the Patriots after signing for the team in 2019. I remember it vividly; he caught a Tom Brady TD pass against the Dolphins and was then cut from the team the next day. While he was/is undoubtedly a very talented player, the question has to be asked why the Patriots even signed him at all – Brown was facing serious sexual assault allegations at the time of his signing, and he was only cut after further allegations came to light, along with allegedly sending intimidating text messages to one of his accusers after he was signed by the Pats.

Therefore, the question also has to be asked if the Patriots should be signing Elliott. This is someone who was suspended by the league for six games in 2017 following multiple domestic violence allegations. Then, rather than being a man about it and accepting the suspension, he instead got the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) to seek an injunction from a judge putting the suspension on hold indefinitely after a league-appointed arbiter ignored his appeal and upheld the suspension. If Elliott had been able to show that the allegations against him were false, then fair enough, but he didn’t, and, for me, the fact that he refused to accept the consequences of his actions speaks to his character (or lack thereof).