Browns receiver Josh Gordon has found himself in trouble once again, raising questions about whether Gordon has any future in the NFL. But one former teammate says the bigger concern is the future direction of Gordon’s life.
D’Qwell Jackson, a linebacker who now plays for the Colts but was Gordon’s teammate in Cleveland the last two years, wrote on Twitter that he’s concerned about Gordon’s ability to manage his life after Gordon was arrested for DWI.
“If you’re close to Josh Gordon please help this kid, it’s not about football anymore it’s about picking up the pieces of his life,” Jackson wrote.
Gordon is among the most talented players in the NFL: Last season, despite missing two games and playing in an otherwise terrible offense in Cleveland, Gordon led the league in receiving yards. But Gordon’s problems with substance abuse have always overshadowed his accomplishments on the football field. In college at Baylor, Gordon was suspended from the football team twice for violations of team rules related to marijuana, and he ultimately left college early and entered the supplemental draft. As a pro, Gordon has already been suspended once by the NFL for violating the substance-abuse policy, he has an appeal hearing scheduled for late this month for a potential one-year suspension for another violation of the substance-abuse policy, and his DWI arrest could lead to further league discipline beyond the suspension he’s currently appealing.
Gordon is only 23 years old. If someone can help him pick up the pieces of his life, he could have a great career ahead of him. If not, Gordon will be remembered as one of the greatest wastes of talent in NFL history.