Apparently, in New England, privacy was a luxury Josh Gordon couldn’t always afford. Bill Belichick’s Patriots certainly had their ways of keeping tabs on things. The former Browns and Patriots wide receiver opened up on the Glory Daze podcast with his ex-teammate Johnny Manziel.
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“True or false that Bill Belichick had a security team following you around to keep an eye on you in New England?” Manziel asked.
“True story. It’s a true f****** story. No, I don’t think it was Bill. Everybody was kind of scared of Bill, so they would overdo it and micromanage any situation. But there was a couple guys that knew my whereabouts always, you know, so even in the shower, I won’t say any names, but you’d hear a knock on the door,” Gordon said.
Can you imagine a knock on the door in the middle of a shower? Gordon seems to have made peace with it. He said the team had a clear reason.
“They were protecting their assets, and at least they’re willing to go to that length to make sure you showed up to work, so I don’t blame them.”
Gordon was a star receiver who led the NFL in receiving yards in 2013, but he also missed two full seasons because of suspensions.
Cleveland traded him to the Patriots in September 2018 for a 2019 fifth-round pick. The Browns also sent New England a conditional seventh-round pick as part of the deal. The Browns had reportedly grown worried about his sobriety after he showed up late to a game that month.
Gordon said Belichick got straight to the point in their first meeting, with a huge playbook and a tight deadline.
“This is a 20-year playbook. Can you understand at least this amount by Friday? We’re gonna need you to start on Sunday,” Gordon recalled Belichick saying.
The Patriots also built a support system around him. Jack Easterby, the team’s character development coach, reportedly made Gordon his top project. The team also kept his media access tight, with one short session a week and one after games. Tom Brady said he spent long hours with him.
“We’re here until late at night, early in the morning, on the field, watching film and so forth,” Brady said. “I can’t say enough good things.”
Belichick, for his part, praised Gordon’s work after his Patriots debut on September 30, 2018.
“Josh has worked hard, he’s a smart kid and he’s got quite a bit of experience,” Belichick said.
On the field, it worked for a while. Gordon caught 40 passes for 720 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games that season.
December 20, 2018, brought another setback. Gordon stepped away from football to focus on his mental health, then received an indefinite suspension from the NFL for violating his conditional reinstatement terms.
The NFL’s substance-abuse policy requires players to follow treatment and testing rules, with violations potentially leading to suspension.
He also missed the Patriots’ Super Bowl run, though he still got a ring.
Belichick spoke the next day and kept it simple and respectful.
“It’s obviously an unfortunate situation, and personally, I wish him the very best, as we all do on this team,” Belichick said.
Gordon was reinstated in August 2019 and played six games that season before his time in New England ended. He thanked the Patriots organization, the NFL, and the NFLPA for their help when he returned.
Gordon officially retired in September 2024. Looking back, he said closing the book felt right.
“It feels liberating to have that chapter of my life end and come to a close,” Gordon said.
Gordon may have left Foxborough years ago, but that Patriots experience clearly gave him a few stories worth saving.