Browns head coach Hue Jackson confirmed that the organization has moved on from wideout Josh Gordon. The 25-year-old revealed earlier this week that he’d be putting his career on hold and entering an in-patient rehabilitation facility. It was reported yesterday that the organization was planning on parting ways with the talented receiver.
According to Nate Ulrich of Cleveland.com, Jackson said that he talked to Gordon “several times” about the decision. Otherwise, the coach was more focused on his current, active players.
“I think what we need to do is just close that chapter right now,” Jackson said. “He’s doing what he needs to do, and we need to do what we need to do, which is continue to move forward.
“Obviously, Josh is not here and doing what he thinks he needs to do for his life, which we support 100 percent. And I think after today, today is really the last Josh Gordon comment I want to make about that. I think what’s best for our football team is that we move forward and move on. He’s not going to be with us, and we wish him well. But we’re moving forward. We’re going to move on.”
Let’s check out some notes pertaining to Gordon and the Browns organization…
- Receiver Andrew Hawkins had no issues with Gordon’s decision, noting that the player’s well-being is more important than football. “The personal side is more important,” Hawkins told Ulrich. “I love football as much as anybody else and Josh is one of the best talents…But it’s still secondary. Him being a good receiver isn’t going to save his life 20 years from now. Him coming back to help the Cleveland Browns in 2016 isn’t going to help him in 2025 if he’s still dealing with these same issues, so I’m sincere in [saying] what he’s doing is important.”
- Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com wonders if NFL teams “understand drug abuse enough to properly assess the risk” of selecting embattled players. The writer focuses on a pair of recent Browns supplemental draft picks: Gordon and Terrelle Pryor. Gordon, a second-round pick in the 2012 supplemental draft, was dismissed from Baylor following failed drug tests. Pryor, a third-round pick in the 2011 supplemental draft, left Ohio State following a memorabilia-selling scandal. Gordon’s future with the franchise appears to be over, while Pryor has been a bright spot for the 0-3 Browns.
- Wide receiver Mitch Mathews is worked out for the Browns yesterday, agent Brett Tessler tweets. The BYU product was supposed to work out with Cleveland last week, but the audition had to be rescheduled.
Zach Links contributed to this post.