FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Patriots have placed receiver Josh Gordon on injured reserve with knee and ankle injuries, ending his run in New England.
The move was posted on the NFL’s transaction wire late Wednesday afternoon.
Gordon suffered the injuries during New England’s win over the Giants in Week 6 and sat out Monday night’s win over the Jets. He did not participate when the Patriots returned to the practice field on Wednesday.
Gordon’s absence will mean the Patriots will now be leaning even more on veteran Mohamed Sanu, acquired in a trade with Atlanta on Tuesday, to provide some stability to an offense that leads the league in scoring at nearly 32 points a game.
According to ESPN, the move caught some close to the situation by surprise, and possibly even Gordon himself. He responded to an Instagram post on the news with the word “interesting.”
The Patriots traded a second-round draft pick in 2020 to the Falcons. The 30-year-old Sanu has 33 receptions for 313 yards, but only one touchdown so far this season.
Gordon was among New England’s leading receivers this season. In six games he has 20 catches for 287 yards and a touchdown.
This marks the second abbreviated season for Gordon. Following a trade from Cleveland last season, he appeared in 11 games for the Patriots before being suspended indefinitely last December for violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.
It is the latest hit to New England’s receiving group. N’Keal Harry, a 2019 first-round draft pick, went on injured reserve after hurting an ankle during training camp. He is eligible to return to the roster in Week 9.