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Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports that the NFL has denied Josh Gordon’s request for reinstatement. Pelissero added that Gordon can petition the league again in the fall.

Gordon last played for the Browns in Game 15 of the 2014 season. He was suspended for 30 of his last 35 games, was conditionally reinstated by the NFL for the 2016 training camp, and then checked himself into a rehab center the day before being cleared to practice for the regular season on Oct. 9.

It's not clear why his reinstatement was denied, but Gordon will need to continue to demonstrate he's on the right path before he's allowed back.

Then the Browns will have to decide if they want him to rejoin the team.

Browns executive vice president Sashi Brown said in March that the team has not completely shut the door on Gordon returning to the team.

Speaking to reporters at the NFL Owners Meeting in Arizona, Brown was asked if the free agency defection of Terrelle Pryor had changed the Browns' view of Gordon.

"No," Brown said. "Assuming he would play at the level we started to see glimpses of last preseason and certainly in the league before, [Gordon] would be a talent I think no team in the NFL would turn down if he got back in."

Brown continued: "We’re not in position at wide receiver to turn down a guy like Josh if we feel he’s settled himself.”

That was a shift from what coach Hue Jackson suggested after Gordon went into rehab, but the Browns won’t have to make any decision on that front for at least a little while longer.

In the meantime, Jackson has said that Corey Coleman, far from a proven commodity, would open 2017 as the team's WR1. The team also added former Rams wideout Kenny Britt via free agency.