Josh Gordon and a failed Week 5 comeback
The Cleveland Browns were expecting Josh Gordon to return this Sunday against the New England Patriots, but his tenure in Cleveland is likely over.
While Tom Brady makes his triumphant return to the NFL this Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, the home team will be without a player also expected to return.
Wide receiver Josh Gordon was finally set to make his return to the Browns, playing in his first regular season game since 2014. But entry into a rehab facility ended all hopes of him making a comeback.
No one can blame someone for taking control of their life and seeking help. It is just a shame that Gordon worked so hard to come back, only to be hit with another setback. And this final setback seems to be the one that will end his time as a member of the Browns.
While no one should blame Gordon for his decision to enter a rehab facility, it is hard to blame the Browns if Gordon is ultimately let go. After second, third and fourth chances, it may be time to move on and focus on the young receivers on the roster. It doesn’t necessarily hurt to keep him on the inactive roster, but he just becomes a distraction after his constant inability to be an active member of the team.
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This failed return comes just one week after Robert Griffin III was supposed to return to his former home to take on the Washington Redskins, only to inhabit the sidelines, unable to play after a Week 1 injury. His presence on the field may not have won the game, but he would have certainly had the chance to show up his former team. Alas, he proved why he was let go in the first place. When you are passed up in favor of Kirk Cousins, things aren’t going too well.
But while Griffin’s failed return was for more personal reasons, Gordon’s has more of an effect on the team. He was being looked to as the team’s number one receiver upon his return, lining up opposite Terrelle Pryor to form a dominant duo.
Instead, fans are left wondering, once again, what could have been if Gordon was able to figure everything out and be the great football player everyone knows he can be.
Such is the nature of the business, so the Browns will continue to look to Pryor as the main option on offense, at least until Corey Coleman returns from his injury. Next man up is something Hue Jackson stresses, and it is true once again as Gordon’s time in Cleveland is now over.