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Gordon denied by NFL

The NFL has denied suspended Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon’s application for reinstatement.

A league spokesman confirmed Tuesday that the application was denied and that Gordon can apply again at a future date.

The decision puts Gordon’s participation for the 2016 season in doubt. He was suspended for all of 2015 for testing positive for alcohol.

On Monday, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Gordon “raised a red flag” because of a recent league-administered drug test. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because results of NFL drug tests are not made public, says Gordon didn’t have a positive substance abuse test.

But a sample collected in March showed Gordon had traces of marijuana and a diluting substance in his system. The level of marijuana was less than the minimum required by the NFL for a positive test.

Cleveland’s new front office has said little about Gordon, who applied for reinstatement in January.

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