Cleveland Browns: Josh Gordon is the most disappointing of all the busts

Cleveland Browns fans were once again let down by news surrounding Josh Gordon, and he is easily one of the most disappointing players in team history.

Is Josh Gordon the most disappointing player in recent Cleveland Browns history? It is a question that should at least be taken into consideration. Understandably there are different angles to this debate but it all depends on how you frame the question.

Perhaps one were to take into account that the only reason Gordon even ended up with the Browns organization was because he caused so much trouble in college he wasn’t eligible for the standard draft. That person would surmise that the Browns knew the risk going in so what did they expect? Where does the disappointment stem from? This is a valid point.

However, no one could have predicted how good of an NFL player Gordon would turn out to be. The sample size at Baylor was too small to comprehend what level the young player could reach.

Gordon only saw significant time in 2010 before being booted from the university. He did produce in that short time, reeling in 42 receptions for 714 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games. This was just a glimpse of a talented football player hidden among a barrage of off-the-field issues.

That is the most disappointing part of the Gordon saga. A guy who was unproven and picked up at a risk, stormed his way into being in the conversation as the NFL’s best receiver. In 2013, he statistically was the best racking up 1,646 receiving yards in a season where he missed two games for a substance abuse problem that would foreshadow the rest of his career.

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Even the struggles that the Cleveland Browns’ offense has often experienced over recent years couldn’t keep Gordon from making a Pro Bowl.

No one knew it at the time but it turns out that 2013 was the peak of the young star’s career. The rest cannot be described as anything other than a disappointment. Gordon had the world in front of him but his inability to follow the rules kept him off the field season after season after season.

It started with a 10-game suspension in 2014 following an offseason arrest for driving while impaired. He followed that up with a year-long suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy in 2015. Then in 2016, Gordon was all set to make a return only needing to serve a four-game suspension to start the season.

Just days before reinstatement he checked himself into rehabilitation and went on a list for indefinite suspension. That leads up to the present where the NFL has reportedly again rejected Josh Gordon’s bid for reinstatement.

Browns fans have to consider Gordon the biggest flop in recent history. In Johnny Manziel‘s case, he never performed long enough to get fans’ hopes up. The same goes for countless other college stars that have made their way through Cleveland. Whether it has been for injuries or under performance, many players have not lived up to expectations.

Gordon is different because he was so clearly on a path to massive stardom. He exceeded expectations in a grand way only to sabotage himself. That is what makes his situation so tough. Fans actually got to see the potential and believe in it.

To Browns fans out there who still hang on to hope of a Gordon comeback, please consider letting go. It is time to stop blaming the morality of the rules and realize that while sad, the Josh Gordon chapter must come to an end.

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Because at the end of the day, if the past tells us anything, it will only end up in heartbreak.

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