Josh Gordon returning to the field — in the new Fan Controlled Football league

Receiver Josh Gordon, who last saw NFL action with the Seahawks in 2019, is returning to football — in the Fan Controlled Football league.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Saturday afternoon that Gordon has signed to play for the Zappers, whose roster includes former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, in the four-team league.

The league plays all of its games in Duluth, Georgia, and the season runs through March 27. (Games are viewable on Twitch.)

Gordon could play in as many as four games for the Zappers, and he likely hopes to show that he has remained in football shape during his time away from the game.

Gordon was on the Seahawks’ roster last season but did not play in any games while serving a suspension for violating league policies on substances of abuse and performance-enhancing drugs.

Gordon will become an unrestricted free agent on March 17. But he remains indefinitely suspended after it was revealed in December that the league had told the Seahawks that Gordon had not satisfied the terms of his conditional reinstatement from suspension. The NFL Network reported that Gordon had “a setback” in his recovery.

That news came the week that the Seahawks had activated Gordon to their active roster, hoping he would be able to return to play against the Rams on Dec. 27. He had been conditionally reinstated two weeks earlier and was able to attend workouts and meetings.

Gordon returned to the suspended list and it’s unclear if or when he will be eligible to play in the NFL again. It’s also unclear if the Seahawks will continue to have interest in signing Gordon, who is 29.

The Seahawks claimed Gordon off waivers from the Patriots in November 2019 and he played in five games, making seven catches for 139 yards before he was indefinitely suspended on Dec. 16, 2019.

The Seahawks re-signed Gordon on Sept. 3, 2020 to a one-year deal worth up to $1.04 million, hoping that, once eligible, he could add to a receiving corps that has spent much of the past two years searching for a consistently reliable third receiver. (Gordon made $120,495 of that salary, according to Spotrac.com, for the two weeks he was conditionally reinstated.)

Gordon missed the entire season, the third he has missed entirely since 2014 due to NFL suspensions related to substance abuse.

Co-owners of two other teams in the Fan Controlled Football league include former Seahawks Marshawn Lynch (the Beasts) and Richard Sherman (Glacier Boyz).

The league features one-hour games in which plays are called by fans. Games are played with seven players and just three linemen with no kickoffs or punts. Teams start at their own 10 and have to drive 40 yards to score a touchdown.