Report: Gordon reinstatement answer expected by late April/early May

Suspended Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon could know whether he'll be permitted to play in the NFL next season as soon as a month from now.

The expectation is Gordon will get an answer from the NFL regarding his application for reinstatement by late April or early May, a source told ESPN's Dan Graziano.

Gordon applied for reinstatement on March 1 after reportedly completing a stint in rehab.

"Josh is living with me and is in the best place mentally that he has been in dating back years before entering the NFL," Gordon's business manager, Michael Johnson, told ESPN's Adam Schefter at the time.

Gordon changed agents recently and started training with Olympian turned speed coach Tim Montgomery, who has his own history of drug problems, a source told ESPN's Dan Graziano. According to Montgomery's company's website, the trainer "focuses on helping athletes build self-confidence and avoid social and professional pitfalls in the face of substance abuse and peer pressure."

Still only 25 years old (he'll turn 26 in April), Gordon hasn't played a snap since appearing in five games in late 2014. The year before, he led the NFL in receiving.

If and when Gordon is reinstated, the Browns will have to decide whether they want to keep him on the roster.