The Patriots threw out a low-risk, high-reward bet in September. To try to boost their beleaguered receiving corps, they shipped a fifth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for former All-Pro Josh Gordon and a seventh-rounder. For 11 weeks, the move paid off dividends. Gordon was a field-stretching threat who opened up passing routes for the rest of New England’s receivers. He also proved to be a productive, Pro Bowl-caliber target; his 40 catches for 720 yards as a Patriots receiver put him on pace for a 58-catch, 1,047-yard 16-game season while averaging a whopping 18.0 yards per catch. His tenure in New England ended with an abrupt leave of absence and another violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, but that doesn’t mean he’s not officially a member of the Patriots. Now that New England has won Super Bowl 53, he’ll receive a championship ring like all the rest of the current members of the organization. Gordon even celebrated with an Instagram post: Gordon reportedly watched the Super Bowl from a treatment facility in Florida, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. His football future is in doubt, but Rapoport said that Gordon is hoping to be reinstated by the NFL. The league is trying to support Gordon during his indeterminate break from football New England attempted to pay for Gordon’s treatment program while he spent time away from the team, according to NESN’s Doug Kyed. However, those plans were rebuffed by the league’s substance abuse policy, which diverts funds from fines and suspensions to fund these programs. As NFLPA guidelines point out, “payment for treatment services rendered to players participating in the Intervention Program shall be governed by the terms and conditions set forth in the NFL Player Insurance Plan.” He’s got support in other high places across the league. “Right now the focus is what can we do to help Josh to get to that place [where he can play football],” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said at his pre-Super Bowl press conference. His New England teammates have been on his side even after after his suspension, which sources told Kyed was due to a diluted sample during the league’s drug testing protocol. “He’s a really good person,’’ Patriots wide receiver Phillip Dorsett said during the run-up to the Super Bowl. “We got really close during his time. I mean, it’s hard to not be close to a player. We see these guys every day. We see these guys more than we see our wives sometimes. So, it’s hard to not be close to a player.’’ “It was just unfortunate how things went down and what happened,’’ Chris Hogan added. “All I can say is Josh is a great teammate. He worked really hard from the second that he got there. You could tell how hard he wanted it. You could tell how much enjoyed playing this game.’’ The club followed through with that support by earning him a Super Bowl ring for his 2018 efforts — even if he has yet to play in the postseason in a seven-year career.<doc-sep>The Telegraph Two of the surprise packages of this clay-court season have been British – initially Dan Evans, who made a deep run in Monte Carlo, and more lately Cameron Norrie, who played his second final in three weeks on Sunday. Unfortunately, Norrie wasn’t able to land a maiden ATP title in Lyon. But then he was up against Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has been the dominant force of 2021 outside the slams, and now stands at No 1 in the table of most rankings points gained since January 1. Nevertheless, it had been a hugely creditable effort for Norrie to go this far, especially when you consider that he took out top seed Dominic Thiem on Thursday, and then trounced big-hitting Russian Karen Khachanov in Saturday’s semi-final, losing only two games in the process. Norrie has come to clay late in his career, but it feels like this is developing into his favourite surface. He has one of the heaviest left-handed forehands in the game, loaded with top-spin, and uses it like a miniature version of Rafael Nadal. The result has been a tally of 14 wins and only four losses since he began his European clay-court swing in Barcelona. So while the French Open, which starts next Sunday, has traditionally been a graveyard of British hopes, there are reasons to hope that this year’s event could deliver some more positive results. Norrie’s previous final in Estoril had been a nervewracking affair which he eventually lost on a deciding-set tie-break to the more experienced Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Sunday was more straightforward for Tsitsipas, who needed only 69 minutes to hammer home a 6-3, 6-3 victory. It was Tsitsipas’ second title of the clay-court sequence, after he won Monte Carlo in mid-April, taking out Evans in the semi-final along the way. He has become a serious contender to upset the establishment – specifically Nadal and Novak Djokovic – at Roland Garros over the next few weeks. “I felt in good shape from the beginning of the tournament,” said Tsitsipas afterwards. “I am proud of today’s match, I knew it would be a difficult one against Cameron, who has been showing great tennis this week. He has been winning against good players and showing what the left hand can do on clay. “It was not an easy match today. I had to handle the nerves and I am proud of my performance and the way I stayed focused towards my goal.” On this year’s results, meanwhile, both Evans and Norrie stand among the world’s 20 most successful men. Evans is at No 16 and Norrie No 14. The next challenge for them both is to convert that ATP Tour form into a deep run at a major.<doc-sep>The Patriots captured their sixth Super Bowl in franchise history Sunday when they defeated the Rams 13-3 in Super Bowl LIII. Despite not playing in the game, wide receiver Josh Gordon will still receive a Super Bowl ring with the rest of the team, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Gordon was suspended indefinitely back in December, coinciding with when he stepped away from the team to address his mental health. The suspension was for "violating the terms of his conditional reinstatement" after he already had multiple offenses regarding the league's substance abuse policy. However, Gordon still gets a ring as he was never released by the team despite stepping away to go to rehab. Celebrate the Patriots' Super Bowl win with Sports Illustrated's commemorative package Prior to the game, it was reported that Gordon could potentially be reinstated by training camp next season. He played 12 games in 2018 and 11 of those with New England. In those 11 contests, he had 40 catches for 720 and three touchdowns. In Super Bowl LIII, wide receiver Julian Edelman took home MVP honors for snagging 10 catches for 141 yards in the win.<doc-sep>A real ring now, and perhaps a positive ring on the phone from the NFL soon. For a player who reportedly was still getting treatment at an inpatient facility in Florida as of last week while the team he left behind was preparing for the Super Bowl, it was a good weekend for Josh Gordon. The troubled NFL star, who played 11 games with the Patriots this season before stepping away for both mental health reasons and because the league suspended him indefinitely for violating the drug agreement, is getting his jewelry. He’ll have his piece of the Super Bowl LIII title despite not being with New England since Dec. 20. “Big & shiny, just like you said! #lfg,” Gordon wrote on Instagram after the 13-3 Patriots victory, attaching an emoji of a ring. The question is now whether he’ll get a chance to earn another. NFL Network reported this weekend that he could be reinstated by training camp, a surprise for a player who missed the entire 2015 and ’16 seasons (along with some of this season) due to drug bans. “I understand the struggles and challenges that [Gordon has] had to go through,” commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters last week. “And he is working at it. He understands what he has to do and this is well beyond football. This is for his life.”<doc-sep>
New England Patriots wide receiver Josh Gordon wasn’t with the team at Mercedes-Benz Stadium when they won the Super Bowl on Sunday in Atlanta. That doesn’t mean, however, that the 27-year-old isn’t celebrating about his impending championship ring. Gordon — who had 40 receptions for 720 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games for the Patriots this year — will indeed receive a championship ring after the Patriots’ 13-3 win in the Super Bowl against the Los Angeles Rams, despite his suspension. He posted about his new ring on Instagram after the game, too. Gordon is currently in rehab in Florida after he was suspended indefinitely in December for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, his fifth suspension in his career. While his issues with drugs and alcohol are well known, it wasn’t just marijuana that led to his suspension this time, but rather multiple violations that stemmed from diluted samples. [Super Bowl gear: Get your New England Patriots title merchandise here!] Gordon’s NFL career could certainly be over, but both he and the Patriots aren’t ruling out a return. The Patriots, who were unaware that the suspension was coming, have been paying for his rehab in Florida. The entire team seemed to embrace Gordon fully this season, too, and many Patriots players tweeted support for him when he was initially suspended. He was third on the team in receiving yards, and played a big part in the Patriots’ success this year. Gordon also broke his social media silence after the Patriots won the AFC championship game to congratulate the team on Instagram — his first post since just before the suspension. Even though he’s suspended, Patriots wide receiver Josh Gordon will still receive a Super Bowl ring after their win against the Rams on Sunday. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) For him to return, he will likely have to show both the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell that he’s been “clean for a sustained period of time,” given his prior drug issues. Story continues Only time will tell to see if Gordon gets another shot in the league and is allowed to report to training camp in July. Regardless, however, it’s undeniable that Gordon deserves a Super Bowl ring. He’s more than earned it. More Super Bowl coverage from Yahoo Sports: • Patriots grind out Rams in lackluster Super Bowl • LeBron among the many confused by halftime show • National anthem performance sparks different controversy • Grading the best and worst Super Bowl ads