Josh Gordon is putting his NFL return on hold so that he can enter rehab.
The Cleveland Browns announced the news in a statement issued on Thursday. In the statement, Gordon shares his reason for entering rehab, saying he wants to “gain full control” of his life so he can reach his full potential as a person.
The Browns say they are supporting Gordon’s decision:
WR Josh Gordon is entering an in-patient rehabilitation facility. pic.twitter.com/pv7ZD5KZuB
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 29, 2016
Gordon was drafted by the Browns in the second round of the 2012 supplemental draft. He had multiple marijuana issues in college, including a failed drug test that led to his suspension from Baylor in 2011 and his eventual transfer to Utah, for whom he never played.
Gordon’s addiction to marijuana continued to be an issue in the NFL. He violated the league’s substance abuse policy multiple times, had an arrest in 2014 for driving while impaired, and he has been suspended multiple times by the league. His suspensions cost him two games in 2013; 11 games in 2014; all of the 2015 season; and the first four games in 2016. Last week he faced an arrest over a paternity test.
Gordon showed extreme promise during his second season in the league. He caught 87 passes for 1,646 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2013.
