Tom Brady is trying his best to help Patriots teammate Josh Gordon both on and off the field

Earlier this week, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady shared a short video via Instagram titled ‘Practice makes perfect.’ The clip shows the veteran quarterback throwing a pass to a wide receiver — and it turns out that wide receiver was Josh Gordon. This was noteworthy because of Gordon’s status: the 28-year-old remains suspended for violating the terms of his reinstatement under the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

Their workout was not the only time Brady and Gordon spent together this offseason, however, as ESPN’s Jeff Darlington pointed out after the session became public on Wednesday. The quarterback, who connected on 40 passes with Gordon after he was acquired via trade early during last year’s regular season, is actively trying to help the troubled wide receiver get better — not just on the field, but off it as well.

“[Brady] recognized that Josh Gordon made the team better and recognized that he was going to need some attention,” Darlington said on NFL Live. “Josh Gordon was going out to dinner with Tom Brady and Gisele [Bündchen] at times because Tom recognized that he needs to bring this guy in, foster him, make him feel like he is at home, recognizing some of the issues that Josh Gordon goes through.”

Gordon, of course, was placed on the NFL’s reserve/suspended list in December 2018 following his latest violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. Despite his long-term outlook being in question because of the indefinite nature of his suspension, the Patriots apparently felt good about the wideout and his chances to return: in March, they placed an original-round tender sheet to keep the restricted free agent from hitting the open market.

While there has been no reported development when it comes to Gordon’s suspension and a potential return to the Patriots, Brady has taken it on himself to stay in touch with his teammate: “While that is, in part, a guy just trying to get better, it’s also Tom Brady being a really good person, continuing to try to help out and manifest Josh Gordon — and remembering, by the way, that Josh Gordon’s rights are currently being held by the New England Patriots,” Darlington said.

“Tom Brady, to this day, really respects Josh Gordon and would love to see him live a better life,” continued Darlington. The future Hall of Fame quarterback, of course, is not the only person to feel that way: Patriots fans around the globe share Brady’s feelings about Gordon — and so do countless others from teammates to coaches to media members.