Didn't think there was much of a chance he would last the season, but only one game? I suppose the Browns can make the argument they supported Gordon as much as possible and gave him every chance to resume his career.
Every team in the league should be looking at Gordon. He's still good. It's a bit like the Carmelo situation - veteran player who can definitely help a team instantly shore up a need. And Gordon is probably better at football than Melo is at basketball, so there's also that. I do find it strange though - the Browns have been through the worst of it, with Gordon, and have helped him throughout this entire process - yet, he has a hamstring injury and he shows up late once, and boom, he's gone? That's like forgiving someone for robbing a bank, but when they steal a pack of gum from the local convenience store, you tell them to gtfo. It doesn't make any sense.
actually it makes perfect sense. You forgave someone for robbing a bank (multiple times in Gordon's case), they still don't learn their lesson and go on stealing smaller things thinking it's ok. It's just a time bomb waiting to happen until he robs another bank.
Mary Kay Cabot of the local Cleveland press wrote that he was fine in practice on Friday, had some promotional non-team related event Friday night, showed up late on Saturday and was "not acting like himself" and claimed his hamstring was injured. Team doctors examined him and then they decided to cut him. I assume he relapsed and didn't show up sober, tried to use the hamstring as an excuse to not practice and they just finally had enough He is a world class talent but just can't stay sober. It is a shame. I read an interview earlier in the year where he was almost bragging about all of the drugs he had used (coke, lean, weed, pills, booze etc...) But someone will sign him because damn he is a generational talent
But that's the thing - you were with them through the thick and thin, but then drop them after a minor thing? I dunno, I'm just not seeing logic behind this. If Gordon had relapsed again, then I can definitely see the Browns saying "ok, forget this. This is the last straw." But to drop him because he was late and also because he had a hamstring injury? That's just...weird.
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...-not-substance-abuse-related-but-about-trust/ It's an interesting situation. The Browns really weren't going to give him even just one more game? If the plan was to release him whenever he became "not himself," then you could do that whenever you wanted. It's not like the Browns were contending for the championship this year and Gordon might prove to be a bad influence on their way to winning the title. I don't understand why they wouldn't just keep him around. Build up a rapport with Mayfield and Taylor. If the Browns end up releasing him without trading for literally anything, then the Browns are who we thought they were.
Even if this incident is not drug related, it has the feel of a "last straw" moment. There is clearly more to this story.
Is he still good? He hasn't been elite or played a full season in over 4 years now. That's an eternity for NFL careers... let alone a position like WR which requires peak physical ability. They've bent over backwards for him moreso than any other NFL team would have... THAT is the biggest fault of the Browns here, not them finally deciding that he's never going to be able to suppress his inner demons. And, as said above, he's no longer an elite talent to give him any more benefits of the doubt.
This is Year Ten in the Josh Gordon Cannot Get His Act Together timeline. At some point you just run out of "second" chances.
