In a league and industry where winning vastly means more than any other thing imaginable, the trajectory of Josh Gordon’s career will now be decided in a conference room and not on the gridiron, giving you some idea of just how dreadfully wrong things have gone for the Cleveland Browns star wideout.
Already facing what some are speculating will be a season-long suspension for at least a third failed drug test over just two years, the league’s leading receiver in 2013 now also has an arrest for suspension of DWI in North Carolina earlier this month to explain and atone for.
A hearing to determine Gordon’s fate is expected any day now but even then may not be soon enough to rescue Gordon from himself. Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN he plans to meet with the Browns before the start of training camp to discuss possible ways to help Gordon in helping himself.
“I’m sure I’ll get together with the Browns at some point before training camp to talk to them some more,” said Rosenhaus.”I’m sure we’ll talk about Josh some more and continue to work together and do the best job we can for him collectively. Let’s just say the appeal hearing is some point in the near future.”
But this isn’t about an appeal, or at least it shouldn’t be. What Josh Gordon needs is guidance, mounds of it and as soon as possible. Rosenhaus and the NFLPA are rumored to be feverishly working to get the length of Gordon’s expected suspension reduced, but really that would be about as big a disservice as the man who arrived on the NFL scene as a second-round pick in the 2012 supplemental draft has been to himself.
I’m not advocating that Gordon be exiled from the Browns as Hall of Fame receiver and one-time reclamation project Cris Carter recently did, but clearly something has to give.
“I feel for the kid,” Carter said in taking his tough love stance. My situation was very, very similar. If I’m the Cleveland Browns — and it’s gut-wrenching for me to say this — I really think that the only thing that’s going to help the kid is if they release him.”
With that, Rosenhaus went mum about Gordon’s plight. “I really don’t have anything to add about Josh’s situation,” he said. “Right now, that’s a league matter and as everyone knows he’s got an appeal coming up and I really won’t have anything to say about it until afterwards.
But there’s no time to lose. Josh Gordon needs help and he needs it now.
