Josh Gordon’s sad professional and personal story has just added another chapter; one that might be the end of his football career.
Report: Cleveland Browns To ‘Move On’ From Josh Gordon
Earlier today, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that the Cleveland Browns were preparing to move on from troubled wide receiver Josh Brown.
#Browns Hue Jackson says about Josh Gordon: "we're moving on. We need to close that chapter right now.''
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) September 30, 2016
This comes less than 24 hours after Gordon announced that he would enter an in-patient treatment facility for substance abuse. This news also comes only a few days away from when Gordon was due to become eligible to play for the Browns for the first time since December of 2014.
Though not officially cut, it is clear from Browns head coach Hue Jackson’s own words that Gordon’s departure from the Browns is imminent:
“We’re moving on, we need to close that chapter right now,” Jackson said. “I’m not going to answer any more questions about Josh Gordon. I’m done with it.”
This news has to be seen as a huge blow to the once promising career of the wide-out that has become derailed due to his seemingly endless battles with substance abuse. Below is a timeline of Gordon’s issues:
- On June 7, 2013, Gordon would be suspended for the first time for two games.
- On July 5, 2014, Gordon was arrested for driving while impaired. He was then suspended for most of 2014 before being activated in November of that year. The Browns would suspend him from the team on December 27, 2014.
- In January of 2015, Gordon was suspended for a year for his substance abuse issues. The suspension began on February 3, 2015.
- In January of 2016, Gordon applied for reinstatement to the league but it was denied in March of 2016 after reports emerged that Gordon failed yet another drug test.
- This past July, Gordon was finally reinstated but suspended for the first four games of the season.
Gordon’s suspension was due to end after this Sunday’s game where the Browns travel to D.C. to take on the Redskins. Now that Gordon has entered rehab and given Jackson’s statement to Mary Kay Cabot, the writing is on the wall and Josh Gordon likely won’t ever return to the Cleveland Browns.
The question that is left is: will Josh Gordon ever play another snap in the NFL?
