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Jarvis Landry: Cleveland Browns 'excited' that Josh Gordon's return 'is finally here'

Veteran receiver Jarvis Landry says the Cleveland Browns are "excited" that Josh Gordon's return "is finally here."
Credit: Matt Florjancic, WKYC Digital Sports
Veteran receiver Jarvis Landry says the Cleveland Browns are "excited" that Josh Gordon's return "is finally here."

CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon missed the first three weeks of training camp while tending to personal matters, but it was announced Saturday afternoon that he was returning to the team.

Even though Gordon was placed on the active/non-football injury list and is not yet able to practice, having him in the building again was a welcomed sight for his teammates.

“It’s great,” Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry said following Sunday’s walk-through. “We were looking forward to it, and now that it’s finally here, everybody’s excited, of course.”

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. A Pro Bowl player in 2013, 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 of the season because of a suspension.

However, after that Pro Bowl season of 2013, Gordon was suspended for 44 consecutive games dating back to the final week of the 2014 season, which was a team ban for reportedly missing a walk-through prior to a trip to Baltimore to play the Ravens.

Gordon has been suspended for a total of 56 career games, 55 of which were NFL bans for positive drug and alcohol tests.

“It’s tough, you know, and things happen, but it’s a part of his story, it’s a part of his journey,” Landry said. “That’s what makes him even that greater, seeing how it turns out, and I’m here, obviously, to support him through any and everything, but obviously, man, the ability that he has is unquestioned.”

The Browns got a glimpse of what a healthy and focused Gordon could do over the last five games of the 2017 season after his return from an NFL-mandated suspension that lasted nearly three full seasons.

In those five games, Gordon turned 18 catches into 335 yards and one touchdown. Additionally, Gordon was on the receiving end of five passes that went for gains of at least 20 yards and converted 12 first downs.

“He’s a proven receiver in this league, obviously, and he’s a playmaker,” Landry said. “He’s a guy that’s going to give us the ability to do a lot of things. We’re excited about that.”

Credit: Matt Florjancic, WKYC Digital Sports
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon eyes up a pass from the quarterback as he hustles down the field in a drill during Organized Team Activities practice at team headquarters in Berea.

In addition to competing with Gordon, Landry is looking forward to co-leading the receiver room and setting an example for the younger players with the one-time Pro Bowl pass catcher.

“Josh makes it even more competitive being in there, but at the end of the day, that’s what we want,” Landry said. “We’re all pushing each other to be great and find our greatness, so I’m excited about it. I’m excited to play with him. I’m excited to work with him, compete with him, and that’s what’s going to help us get to the level that we need to be at to win games.”

In order to lead, Gordon needs to return to the field, and Landry is confident he will do so ahead of the 2018 regular-season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday, September 9.

“He’s been training this whole time, so we expect him to be ready” Landry said. “I’m sure he will be, but at the end of the day, we’re just happy to have him back.”

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