Browns' Gordon pleads guilty to DWI

Raleigh, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Suspended Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while impaired stemming from an arrest in North Carolina in July.

The Wake County clerk's office told NFL.com on Tuesday that Gordon, who had initially received a season-long suspension for violating the league's since- revised substance abuse policy, was sentenced to 12 months of unsupervised probation and received a $100 fine along with court costs of $290. A speeding ticket he also was given at the time of the arrest was dismissed.

Gordon was not present for the hearing, with attorney Trey Fitzhugh entering the plea on his behalf.

According to Profootballtalk.com, Gordon's counsel had his original hearing scheduled for November 18 moved up and decided to plead guilty in order to avoid a mandatory two-game suspension for DUI offenses that is set to go into effect under the NFL's new drug policy that the Players Association ratified last week.

Multiple reports have stated that Gordon is expected to have his 16-game ban reduced to 10 games as a result of the new agreement. The All-Pro wideout has run afoul of the substance abuse policy a total of four times over the course of his three-year career and was previously suspended for the first two games of last season.

Despite missing those two games, Gordon still led the NFL with 1,646 yards on 87 catches during a breakout campaign, setting Browns season records for receiving yards and 100-yard receiving games (7) as well as a new NFL mark for most yards receiving over a four-game stretch (774).

According to police reports, Gordon was found to have a blood-alcohol level of .09, just slightly above North Carolina's legal limit, when he was stopped in Raleigh on July 5. He was also cited for driving 50 mph in a 35 mph zone.