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Tim Montgomery: Josh Gordon to end treatment soon, hopes for NFL return

NFL, Cleveland Browns

Suspended wide receiver Josh Gordon returned to rehab in June to try to show the NFL he was worthy of reinstatement and will end his treatment on Sept. 21, former Olympian Tim Montgomery, who trains the wide receiver, told cleveland.com.

This is believed to be the fourth time Gordon has entered treatment, according to cleveland.com.

When the NFL denied Gordon's bid for reinstatement in May, the league told the Cleveland Browns receiver that he could apply again in the fall. Montgomery, who told the website that he was "devastated" when Gordon was denied reinstatement in May, says he and Gordon are hoping that three months in rehab will convince the league to accept him back this time.

"He's been clean, so we're hoping after 90 days he's reinstated and they put him back in the league, which it looks like they're going to do that,'' Montgomery told the website.

Montgomery, who has had his own drug problems but now uses his past mistakes as basis to help others, said he believes the reason Gordon was turned down in May was because he missed drug tests because he wouldn't answer his phone. Montgomery told cleveland.com that Gordon "sabotages his success" and "gets in his own way" sometimes.

Montgomery told the website that from "where Josh comes from, marijuana is considered like a cigarette" and that before Gordon got clean he turned to drinking when he was told he couldn't smoke.

Montgomery told cleveland.com that he met with Gordon two weeks ago when the receiver was on a day pass from rehab. Montgomery said that Gordon weighs about 231 pounds now and didn't drop a pass during their training session at Montgomery's NUMA Speed, located in Gainesville, Florida. Gordon also lives in Gainesville, with his business manager, Michael Johnson.

"From what I've seen, he's in a different place than what he was six, seven months ago,'' Montgomery told the website. "He's come a long, long way from when we first started working together.''

Gordon, 26, has not played in a game since Dec. 21, 2014. He has been suspended for 43 of the Browns' past 48 games.

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