Julian Edelman Welcomes Josh Gordon Back With Epic Instagram Post

Josh Gordon is finally back where he belongs.

The NFL decided to reinstate the receiver, and he will join the New England Patriots on Sunday.

“We are all rooting for Josh to succeed, both personally and professionally,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement released by the NFL. “Everyone shares in that hope and will continue to support him to every extent possible. But as Josh acknowledged, ultimately his success is up to him.”

Julian Edelman was among the first to welcome his teammate. Gordon is an excellent addition to his squad.

The receiver’s reinstatement is, according to the league, “subject to appropriate progress on clinical care and other arrangements.”

Gordon will be back on the field again. The Patriots will have to make enough for the 6-foot-3, 225-pound target on their roster. At wide receiver, the team’s depth chart includes extended Super Bowl LIII MVP Julian Edelman and first-round pick N’Keal Harry, followed by Phillip Dorsett, Jakobi Meyers, Maurice Harris, Braxton Berrios, Matthew Slater, Dontrelle Inman, Damoun Patterson, Gunner Olszewski, Ryan Davis, Cameron Meredith and Demaryius Thomas.

Patriots players are happy to welcome Gordon. They rooted for him long before Goodell made his decision.

“There wasn’t many opportunities, but he was around, and I needed someone to catch,” quarterback Tom Brady said. “I’ve always enjoyed playing with him and obviously hope everything works out for him. I’m hoping the best, certainly.”

“It definitely would mean a lot to him, because I know it means a lot to him to just play football,” Dorsett recently told ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “I was definitely close to him. I just hope he gets himself right. That’s my main concern — just him as a human being. I don’t really care about the football thing. I just want to see him be healthy in his mind, his body and spirit.”

“I’d be happy for him,” McCourty agrees with his teammates. “I think at this point, everybody here, you’re just encouraging and you just hope everything is working right with him — not only with reinstatement but just in life, that he’s doing well, progressing the way he needs to progress. If the next step in that progression is coming back to the team, obviously everyone here would be thrilled to have him. He’s an awesome person, dealing with things just like the rest of us.”