The Cleveland Browns may be willing to give Josh Gordon yet another chance.
Gordon was suspended indefinitely last year after what was described as a “slip-up,” but he recently applied for reinstatement. Despite a recent report claiming it is doubtful the Browns will welcome Gordon back, executive vice president Sashi Brown said Wednesday that the team is not ruling it out.
“Listen, assuming he would play at the level we started to see glimpses of last preseason and certainly in the league before, [Gordon] would be a talent I think no team in the NFL would turn down if he got back in,” Brown said Wednesday, via ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi. “Our decision with Josh is just understanding where he is in this process and being able to have him.”
Cleveland is in desperate need of playmakers, especially after they lost Terrelle Pryor in free agency. Brown alluded to that.
“We’re not in position at wide receiver to turn down a guy like Josh if we feel he’s settled himself,” he added. “Josh is going to have an opportunity to reapply to the NFL and at that time we’ll make a decision when we know what’s going on.”
Gordon checked himself into rehab back in September after continuing to struggle with alcohol addiction. He failed multiple drug tests for marijuana while in college at Baylor, and the issue continued in the NFL, where he has violated the league’s substance abuse policy on multiple occasions. Gordon was arrested in 2014 for driving while impaired and has been suspended more than once. Interestingly enough, Gordon checked himself into a rehab facility the same day he received the results of a paternity test he was nearly arrested over.
With all that has happened in his life and career, it seems impossible that Gordon has not yet turned 26. If he can somehow keep on the straight and narrow, he’s going to be a huge help for some team.
