The Cleveland Browns may be welcoming back Josh Gordon with open arms, but his road to return to the field is not so simple.
Gordon, who was suspended 11 games in 2014 and all of last season, has not played in an NFL game since Week 16 of 2014. Though he was reinstated by the NFL this summer, Gordon apparently needs to lose some weight before he’ll be ready to practice with his teammates.
“He’ll be the first to tell you that (he needs to lose weight). He does,” Browns head coach Hue Jackson said Monday via the Akron Beacon Journal. “We’re working through that process, too. He’s done a great job, off of the field, obviously. Even when he’s out here, I think you can see he is into practice. The guy carries a script with him everywhere he goes. He’s making sure that he’s staying in it the best he can. When he walks back out there, I think he has something to prove too. It’s good to have a guy with a chip on his shoulder.”
Gordon should feel like he has something to prove given how long he’s been out of the league. And him not being in playing shape immediately should not come as a surprise. Maybe there is a benefit to him being out of the game — he hasn’t taken the physical beating some of his colleagues have, and that could mean he’s fresh. Now Gordon just needs to make sure he doesn’t spoil the fresh start Jackson has given him.
