BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns knew before the starting of training camp Thursday that wide receiver Josh Gordon would not be at the team’s headquarters in Berea while he tended to some personal matters in order to better prepare himself for a return to the NFL.
And those who have shared the field with Gordon were happy he took the steps necessary to take care of himself and put football on the backburner.
“I'm definitely excited for him in this process because, a lot of times, we get looked at as just football players and not actual humans,” running back Duke Johnson Jr. said. “For him to want to take that step and want to get himself together before he comes back, I think it's awesome, and I'm pretty sure myself and the teammates said it, we're all going to welcome him back when he gets back.
“No love lost. We're going to love him even more for being a grown-up and making that decision because a lot of people wouldn't ask for help and definitely wouldn't go out in public and tell people they're asking for help, so we appreciate it.”
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Since joining the Browns through a second-round pick in the 2012 NFL Supplemental Draft, Gordon has turned 179 catches into 3,089 yards and 15 touchdowns.
During the 2013 season, Gordon set a franchise record with an NFL-best 1,646 yards on 87 receptions with nine of those catches going for touchdowns after missing the first two games because of a suspension.
However, after the Pro Bowl season, Gordon was suspended for 44 consecutive games, which brought his career total to 56 missed games, 55 of which were NFL bans for positive drug and alcohol tests. Gordon has played in just 10 regular-season games since the end of the 2013 season.
“It came as a surprise to me,” quarterback Tyrod Taylor said. “I’m sure it came as a surprise to a couple of guys. Like I said, whatever he has to do to take time to get himself right and to be able to come back to this team and contribute, we are all for it. We stand behind him. We support him 100 percent.
“More importantly, I am a friend of Josh Gordon, so I want him to be right, mentally and physically. Whatever he has to do to get himself together to come out and play at a high level for us, then I am all for it. More so, a friend than a teammate.”
Fellow quarterback Baker Mayfield added, “Josh’s health is the most important thing. He’s doing all the right things to take care of himself, and to me, that’s the most important thing.”
And whenever Gordon is able to return to the Browns, his teammates know the kind of player they will be getting back on the field.
“His talent is one of a kind, especially being his size to move the way he does and catch the ball, it's freakish,” Johnson Jr. said. “But again, he wants to make sure that his mental part of the game is as strong as his physical.”
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