Josh Gordon has yet to resume practicing in full with the Cleveland Browns, but head coach Hue Jackson said that he anticipates the star receiver being back on the field with the team “very soon.” With three weeks to go until the start of the regular season, it does not seem out of the question that Gordon will be available in Week 1.
While Gordon has been ruled out of Cleveland’s preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, Jackson told reporters Tuesday that Gordon has been in “outstanding” shape and hinted that he could make an appearance in the team’s preseason finale.
“If there’s a chance against Detroit at the end, it’d be great,” Jackson said, per Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland. “If not, my real goal is can we get him up and running by the time we play Pittsburgh. I think that is really important.”
The fact that Jackson is not ruling out Gordon making an appearance in a preseason game is noteworthy. If he felt Gordon was nowhere near being in game shape, he probably wouldn’t sound so optimistic.
The Browns hosted Dez Bryant for a visit during Gordon’s absence, but Jackson has insisted the team’s interest in the free agent wide receiver has nothing to do with Gordon’s status. It’s still unclear if there was a specific event that inspired Gordon to take some time off, though there has been plenty of speculation. His status is never a given, but the Browns know they are better with Gordon on the field.
