Believed to finally be navigating a quiet offseason, Josh Gordon re-entered the headline circuit Monday and is away from the Browns for the time being. He resides on the non-football illness list.
While it’s another setback for the talented receiver, the Browns are sticking by Gordon as he deals with this latest obstacle. The reasoning for Gordon’s delay in being deemed ready for Cleveland’s training camp is not known, but NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said (via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com) the former All-Pro wideout has no return timetable.
The understanding at this point is that the 27-year-old wide receiver is in some type of rehab facility, Cabot said during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show (Twitter link), adding that it would then be up to medical personnel and counselors to determine when Gordon can return. She confirms a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicating Gordon is not believed to have failed a drug test.
The consequences of a failed test would dire for Gordon, who would likely face an indefinite suspension and possibly see his NFL career end given what’s happened over the past four years. Gordon can be tested up to 10 times per month. He admitted hard drug use occurred during his first NFL stint as well as during his time at Baylor. Cabot wonders if Gordon found himself on somewhat shaky ground regarding a relapse. He had stayed near the Browns facility in Berea, Ohio, until last month, Cabot reports.
Gordon’s last known stint in rehab came in September 2017. The NFL reinstated him in November of last year, and he returned for the Browns’ final five games. He averaged 18.6 yards per catch despite operating in a passing attack that struggled throughout last season.
Gordon is expected to be a starter for the Browns in 2018.
“We will continue to support Josh as he receives the care needed to maintain his progress,” John Dorsey said. “We’re going to respect his privacy while he’s away from the team.”
Starting to wonder if we’ll ever see him on a football field ever again….
Starting to not care, myself. If he has problems, football should be the last thing on his mind.
Just let dude smoke weed. I want to see him on the field already
Why ? It’s illegal .. I have an idea , why not .. have dude understand that playing in the NFL is a privilege not to be taken lightly. Kick his azz to the Canadian league. I’m tired of reading about a guy with zero self discipline. He doesn’t deserve the NFL.
Damn bro it’s only weed you act like it alcohol. Plus some state are legal. So quit hating hater
Ya why use natural pain relievers when you can pop pills ad nauseam.
Some of the guys on here do have a point. You are getting paid a lot of money to follow certain criteria. If you don’t follow that criteria, you don’t get paid. Obviously it depends on who you are too. When Ben wrecked his motorcycle the Steelers could have taken money from him because it’s in his contract to avoid putting yourself in situations like that. You sign a contract, you are obligated to follow it or it becomes voided. I think the Browns have put their necks on the line for him too much to look back now. Wish the best for him though.
Chaos is clearly clueless about addiction. It is a disease with a genetic component that is often hereditary in nature. You can’t simply will yourself into no longer being an addict any more than you can use will power to stop arthritis or other hereditary afflictions.
Chaos is clearly clueless about a whole laundry list of things. It’s simply astounding how he(?) managed to get that across in so few words. The fact that Gordon seems to be addressing whatever issue has him sidelined, AND both the NFL and the Browns seem to be on board w/ it is a giant leap in the right direction.
I can only hope for a day where some random tool on the internet doesn’t feel obligated to champion their complete ignorance on a subject while highlighting their own personal insecurities on the interwebz.
Chaos is his NEW user ID. Unsurprisingly he’s been banned before. He usually chimes in with clueless comments on any and everything that he has no idea about. SHOCKER!
Why do you think me chiming In against THUGS is clueless .. the sport is bigger and better than that .. maybe because me talking about thug life hits close to home TSpoon ?
Well .. TSpoon , I have slpdajab user ID also .. I lost it and found it again .. never been banned. I just state things how I see them. Some people agree and some like you see things differently. That’s ok.. still doesn’t matter .. that’s my opinion and wish today’s NFL had more respectable people that’s all. It’s a shame.
That (captainachos) was a pretty lame comment figuring he didn’t test dirty.
Maybe he learned from his past mistakes and recognizes some of the triggers and sought help instead of falling again.
he went to rehab because they cant test you in there
Your looking at it the wrong way…he’s worked hard to get over his old habits and wants a long nfl career. I believe by checking himself in again, this is a positive step to get some additional therapy before the pressure of a full season, media, etc. He has admitted that he relied on drugs in the past, so by checking himself in just before the season, he’s trying to reinforce the idea that he doesn’t need them. Good luck Gordon! Need you on the field!
Good post jmac. Friends of mine who have been associated with AA tell me that you never beat addiction but you learn how to manage it on a day to day basis. The key is having a support system of others who have taken the same journey.
Exactly. And the extreme importance of both acknowledging & addressing any warning signs relating to relapse along the way.
Nothing is wrong. All he is doing is avoiding the hardknocks cameras. He doesn’t that want to be a plot point I in their narrative this season which makes a TON of sense.
An AA sponsor is someone who has walked across a path of hot coals and has the experience to help people to get to the other side. Then to show gratitude, that person helps the next by showing them how he made it across
you can not get tested in rehab!