Talk in New England that Josh Gordon’s work ethic was a concern

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The Patriots jettisoned receiver Josh Gordon this week, and as has always been the case throughout Gordon’s football career, there was more to it than just his talent for playing the game.

Tom Curran of NBCSportsBoston.com said this morning on PFT Live that there were rumblings in New England about the team having problems with Gordon being late to meetings, coaches having a hard time locating him, and generally Gordon not displaying the kind of work ethic that Bill Belichick demands.

“He was showing signs of undependability,” Curran said of Gordon.

It didn’t help that Gordon was far from great this season, catching just 20 passes for 287 yards in the six games he started. Perhaps if Gordon had played like he did at his best, Belichick would have tolerated the other stuff. But the combination of a lack of productivity and questionable practice habits led to a quick exit.

102 responses to “Talk in New England that Josh Gordon’s work ethic was a concern

  1. Like anyone should be shocked he will always be a bum. Patriots would have been better drafting a player with that 5th round pick they threw away

  2. Give the guy a break. He’s probably lucky to be alive right now, while we continue to twiddle our thumbs and downplay the debilitating nature of mental illness. There’s far more to life than professional football.

  3. Funny you say jettison – Jets is on the 3rd spot in waiver order and the first likely to look.

  4. Belichick would not have tolerated it even if Gordon was having a great season. Neither would Brady, and I am certain he tried. Heck, Tom accepted AB despite the bad publicity because AB worked his tail off. The Patriots are different then the other teams in that way. Kind of like my Giants.

  5. Interesting that this is just coming to light now….. sounds like he may be on the verge of slipping up & the Pats just didn’t trust him to be dependable enough to have & hold onto a valuable roster spot that could be filled with someone they could……
    I really like Josh & am pulling for him…. it makes me a tad nervous that he wasn’t all in with his chance on the Patriots especially when they are chasing a 7th Lombardi as a possible reward for being willing to grind it out….as from a fans standpoint, it is true that his production hasn’t been anything special to this standpoint, especially with his talent….I figured there was SOMETHING going on behind the scenes for the Pats to decide to just cut him after all the time & energy they invested in him even after last seasons incident…..
    Best of luck to him….
    GO PATS!!!

  6. Think maybe they want to cut his $2 mil salary but keep him on a 1 year deal? Sent to IR, then released with injury settlement, NE can now resign him in three weeks to a smaller contract, if he’s still available. Wait for it. NE has done stranger things.

  7. Give the guy a break. He’s probably lucky to be alive right now, while we continue to twiddle our thumbs and downplay the debilitating nature of mental illness. There’s far more to life than professional football.
    ========

    Life is full of choices, and the bad choices we make should be owned. No empty excuse or blaming others.
    Work ethic is a direct attribute to character. Character is something you either have, or don’t.
    The NFL is full of successful stories of people starting from the bottom who grew from hard work and good choices. This guy simply chooses to be who he is, and it’s his own fault.

  8. Kind of ironic he gets hurt on a play he could have backed off from.

    IR was a waste because he was not going to be on the team next year. So this works out for him, if he wants it to work out for him. Which I hope he does.

    .

  9. revren10 says:
    November 1, 2019 at 8:04 am
    Like anyone should be shocked he will always be a bum. Patriots would have been better drafting a player with that 5th round pick they threw away
    ——————–
    Without his 720 yards in 11 games for Pats last season it’s arguable they may’ve lost a couple more games. Every GM in the NFL would gadly spend a 5th round pick to buy 720 more yds

  10. “Perhaps if Gordon had played like he did at his best, Belichick would have tolerated the other stuff.”

    Belichick is notorious for sending players home who are late to practice when there is a snow storm. He wouldn’t have tolerated anything.

  11. Not surprised to hear this at all. There were many plays during games where you could see his body language was uninterested, and effort on a play was lacking.

  12. And yet there will be people calling for this clown to get another chance. That somehow he is being treated unfairly. Nonsense

  13. streetyson says:

    November 1, 2019 at 8:27 am

    revren10 says:
    November 1, 2019 at 8:04 am
    Like anyone should be shocked he will always be a bum. Patriots would have been better drafting a player with that 5th round pick they threw away
    ——————–
    Without his 720 yards in 11 games for Pats last season it’s arguable they may’ve lost a couple more games. Every GM in the NFL would gadly spend a 5th round pick to buy 720 more yds

    How many catches dd he have in the playoffs oh that’s right zero, he couldn’t even play a full season for the team he will always be a bum and if the team would’ve lost in the playoffs fan boys would have been blaming him for leaving the team short at receiver.

  14. Addicts can get all the help they need and then some,and a lot of the time ,it won’t ever be enough. It’s not that they don’t appreciate it…it’s more that it’s too hard for them to leave the old behaviors behind. I wish him good luck,but he’s running out of chances.

  15. Since when has a “rumor” out of New England been credible? I’m not a Patriot’s fan by any means but I’m taking this with a grain of salt.

  16. I have said this before and I will say it again:

    BB needs to be removed from decision making when it comes to WRs – His record of picking WRs is somewhere around BUST.

    McDaniels should be in charge of finding WRs for TB.

  17. johnnycantread says:
    November 1, 2019 at 8:28 am
    Brown… Strike 1
    Gordon… Strike 2
    What WR are they going to whiff on?
    ===================================================
    Are you keeping track of every wide receiver that was signed by a team and then released? Because I’m pretty sure most teams go through about 5 receivers a year. The fact that New England is releasing high profile receivers says something about the team. The fact that both of those receivers will likely end up starting for another team at some point also says something about how good the Patriots really are.

  18. johnnycantread says:
    November 1, 2019 at 8:27 am

    Great when he’s on the team… Bum when he’s gone.
    ————————————————

    Said no Pats fan ever.

    There is no fan base on this site that is more supportive of former players for their team than Pats fans, and it is not even close. Hell, Pats fans on this site are even rooting for Jacoby Brissett to do well even though he is playing for a hated team.

    The only former Pats we have a problem with are those former Pats who make absurd comments after leaving the team (looking at you Cassius Marsh and Dion Lewis).

  19. The reason his numbers are bad is because of weak qb play. He is a field stretcher, and brady only passes once or twice a game over 15 yards. Bellichick recognized that and grabbed sanu, who is basically edelman lite and only runs short routes. Hopefully he goes to a team that can utilize his skills.

  20. Duh!
    Potheads are well known for having an extremely poor ethic.
    Gordon has been given far too many chances so it’s about time that he has received his comeuppance.

  21. I don’t believe it. Belichick once sent Randy Moss and one or two other players home for being a few minutes late to a team meeting on the morning of a snowstorm.

    No way he would tolerate this behavior from someone on a regular basis.

    Good luck Gordon.

  22. uliehashtagbest says:
    November 1, 2019 at 8:54 am
    The reason his numbers are bad is because of weak qb play. He is a field stretcher, and brady only passes once or twice a game over 15 yards. Bellichick recognized that and grabbed sanu, who is basically edelman lite and only runs short routes. Hopefully he goes to a team that can utilize his skills.

    Then how do you explain the 2 times Brady had a real down field threat

    Moss and Brandon Cooks (cooks. Just 2 years ago) Brady was at the top or near the top in completions 20 or more yards down field?

  23. Who could have possibly known that a pot head who has failed double digit “2nd chances” might have a work ethic problem to go along with his substance dependency and extreme case of apathy towards any semblance of responsibility?

  24. OOOOOOOOOOO! “Rumblings In New Englang” from Tom Curran. Another words, nobody from the Pats organization actually said anything. For anybody not familiar with the with the way the sports media operates in Boston here is a short. One Sports writer says, ” I think Gordon’s Work Ethic is questionable”.. Then the rest of the sports writers report it as though it was fact. This could be true, who knows, but I don’t believe anything unless I hear it come out of BBs mouth and that will never happen. Time to to leave Josh alone. He got cut because the Pats have wrs that they like better.

  25. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009.

    randy Moss and Adalius Thomas showed up late to a meeting cause of the snow. they were actually on route 1 near the stadium.

    Bill sent them home.

    No way would he tolerate consistent tardiness

  26. BrownsTownOH says:
    November 1, 2019 at 8:11 am

    Told ya so – CLE
    —————————

    Well, there’s 2 games this year we might not have won without Gordon, and there is no way we make it to the SB last year without Gordons contributions.

  27. Anytime a guy leaves NE there are always negative rumors about the guy, presumably spread by a proxy for the team.

  28. Jamie Collins, who at the time was probably there best run defense LB, got traded to the dumpster fire Browns because he was free lancing during plays and out of position, Very simple do your job or you are gone. Same thing for Bennett, out of position a few to many times got into a argument and dumped onto Dallas and his good buddy Witten having to say like with Hardy what a great guy. Guessing Gordon wasn’t running all out on some pass plays which might ruin the play to spread the Defense.

  29. rogergoodellmyhero says:
    November 1, 2019 at 8:20 am
    But the Patriots fanboys told me he has changed his ways! What happened homers?
    ———————
    Nothing has changed. The Patriots still win their games and your team still loses them.

  30. whywerule says:

    Said no Pats fan ever.

    _______________________

    Pats fans love AB, then trashed him afterwards.
    There’s the pattern.
    Why would Gordon be any different?

  31. uliehashtagbest says:
    November 1, 2019 at 8:54 am
    The reason his numbers are bad is because of weak qb play. He is a field stretcher, and brady only passes once or twice a game over 15 yards. Bellichick recognized that and grabbed sanu, who is basically edelman lite and only runs short routes. Hopefully he goes to a team that can utilize his skills.
    ——————————-
    Then how do you explain all the long throws to Dorsett?

  32. aarons444 says:
    November 1, 2019 at 9:53 am
    So concerning, in fact, that they limited his ability to go to another team.

    #classless
    ————————
    How is that classless? Do you not understand the objective of being a professional football team in the NFL?

  33. Regarding Gordon’s value to the Patriots last season: Robert Kraft thought so much of his contributions that he awarded Gordon a Super Bowl ring. He played well.

  34. I’d pump the brakes on this one. Tom Curran is well known for presenting his theories as stuff he heard, and stuff he heard as fact. Patriots fans who are familiar with Curran and other Boston sports media will be taking this with a grain of salt.

  35. Who knows what went on behind the scenes, but when watching games, at times his play reminded me of Moss before he was cut loose.

  36. aarons444 says:
    November 1, 2019 at 9:53 am
    So concerning, in fact, that they limited his ability to go to another team.

    #classless

    ———————–

    They limited his ability to go to another team that he chooses, but what has Gordon done to deserve the ability to pick his destination? He will end up on another team and the reason someone will give him a chance is exactly because of the way the Patriots handled it. They let it be about injury as opposed to cutting him for his behavior. That’s a favor to him, as if he was cut from the Patriots for flaking out then nobody would touch him.

  37. Flash1287 says:
    November 1, 2019 at 9:07 am
    uliehashtagbest says:
    November 1, 2019 at 8:54 am
    The reason his numbers are bad is because of weak qb play. He is a field stretcher, and brady only passes once or twice a game over 15 yards. Bellichick recognized that and grabbed sanu, who is basically edelman lite and only runs short routes. Hopefully he goes to a team that can utilize his skills.

    Then how do you explain the 2 times Brady had a real down field threat

    Moss and Brandon Cooks (cooks. Just 2 years ago) Brady was at the top or near the top in completions 20 or more yards down field?

    So your defense of brady being a game manager now is bringing up his play from several years ago? Maybe its easier for you to blame everyone else when its pretty obvious brady is to blame.
    Another interesting thing is that when the pats relied on bradys arm (the moss and cooks seasons), they lost the superbowl. Coincidence?

  38. intrafinesse says:
    November 1, 2019 at 9:51 am
    Anytime a guy leaves NE there are always negative rumors about the guy, presumably spread by a proxy for the team.

    —————

    I think the opposite… the team was trying to prevent any information coming about about why they put Gordon on IR with such a short term injury. The team was trying just to point to the injury only, which was good for Gordon. The media know that doesn’t make a lot of sense and they have been pushing for several weeks. They finally got something out of somebody. Who knows if it’s true, but it is more plausible than what the Patriots had said.

  39. Wait, I thought BB can fix everyone. That’s what Patriots Kool-Aid drinkers say when they sign someone with a trouble past even though they berated the team that had him before them for being spineless. I’m sure they’ll berate any team that were to sign Gordon now that he’s no longer a Kool-aid drinkers’ fave.

  40. All hail the team that has won more Super Bowls than any other NFL team in almost 5 decades.

    Yes it really is SO GREAT to be king! Sitting on our throne, looking down and smiling at inferior teams and their inferior fans. Tee hee 🙂 It never gets old!

  41. Seems unlikely given they handled his release in the kindest possible matter for him. They intentionally set it up so he could play again this season. Why would they go to that trouble if he was missing meetings?

  42. My two cents based on him looking slow and seriously out of shape, he probably was fighting the training regiment they wanted him to do to get in shape and they gave up. Brady was getting killed waiting for him to break open and he was covered like a blanket. End of story.

  43. aarons444 says:
    November 1, 2019 at 9:53 am
    So concerning, in fact, that they limited his ability to go to another team.

    #classless

    ——-

    #Gamesmanship

  44. A little cold, but if JGordon was showing signs that the Pats couldn’t count on him, they had to move on. They couldn’t afford to get stuck after the trade deadline with a beat up Edleman, Dorsett, 2 rookies, no FB and no tight end to speak of. Be interesting to see if the offense can move the ball against good teams

  45. Bauer says:
    November 1, 2019 at 10:12 am
    uliehashtagbest says:
    November 1, 2019 at 8:54 am
    The reason his numbers are bad is because of weak qb play. He is a field stretcher, and brady only passes once or twice a game over 15 yards. Bellichick recognized that and grabbed sanu, who is basically edelman lite and only runs short routes. Hopefully he goes to a team that can utilize his skills.
    ——————————-
    Then how do you explain all the long throws to Dorsett?

    Dorsett doesnt even have 300 yards yet, but that would account for his one or two passes downfield per game.

  46. You don’t say…

    When your heart isn’t in it anymore, it’s tough to show up and do the little things that makes great players great. No different in any walk of life.

  47. johnnycantread says:
    November 1, 2019 at 10:09 am
    ——————————-

    Pats fans love AB, then trashed him afterwards.
    There’s the pattern.
    Why would Gordon be any different?
    ———————————————–

    I think Pats fans were hopeful that AB would leave his lunacy behind, at least for six months or so, when he joined the Pats, but that clearly did not occur.

    Gordon’s history is, arguably, an unfortunate addiction history, a self-destructive history. He does not appear to blame others for his issues, and no evidence that he attacks others in social media, text messages or publicly as AB has done.

    Gordon seems likeable, AB not so much. I hope Gordon does not relapse.

  48. Probably concerned he might have a bad influence on Harry and Meyers.

    But the dude played hurt and played hard. Look at the play he injured himself on in the Giants game.

  49. Im happy he has his substance abuse under control. His entire career would indicate he is undependable.

  50. Jack Bauer says:
    November 1, 2019 at 10:15 am
    aarons444 says:
    November 1, 2019 at 9:53 am
    So concerning, in fact, that they limited his ability to go to another team.

    #classless
    ————————
    How is that classless? Do you not understand the objective of being a professional football team in the NFL?

    \\\\

    I wouldn’t say classless.

    I would say that they have not been able to draft people to fill these positions and now they are taking pop shots in free agency hoping the vaunted “patriot way” will get them something others didn’t get.

    Either the patriot way is a farce and they can’t fix stupid or unwanted like so many on here proclaim, or the GM needs to do a better job at getting talent.

    Which means they are just like every other team, with one of the easiest schedules in pro football.

  51. Bill gave him multiple chances! It’s all on him. Maybe a few more months in a drug rehab facility will finally get his attention.

  52. gronkhof says:
    November 1, 2019 at 8:25 am
    Think maybe they want to cut his $2 mil salary but keep him on a 1 year deal? Sent to IR, then released with injury settlement, NE can now resign him in three weeks to a smaller contract, if he’s still available. Wait for it. NE has done stranger things.
    ————————————
    It’s unlikely they could sign him for less. This was personnel motivated.

  53. Gordon’s cap hit for 2019 was 2 million dollars. So, NE saves 1 million dollars by waiving him. They also are bringing back Harry at some point.

  54. Patriots way of keeping potential suitors from making a waiver claim. Plant the story in the media…and it takes on a life of its own.

  55. I am loving all the comments from the anti-Pats contingent. Always entertaining. Do the teams you root for ever garner your attention or is all focused on the Pats? Win or lose come Monday there will be the same group commenting. You know who you are.

    Pats win:
    easy schedule
    Kraft paid the refs
    they cheated

    Pats lose:
    finally played a good team
    refs are not afraid to throw flags outside of Foxboro
    the Defense is overrated

  56. Bottom line is that NE is in cap he’ll that they can’t get out of for the first time. They will need to once again restructure contracts that have already been restructured or let the likes of Edelman and others go.

    This DOESNT make sense because 1m in this league is nothing.

  57. If you can’t make it with the Patriots its not going to happen I’ve seen them over the years take on players who had not so good history & they are able to get it out of them,this confirms as talented as he is he is never going to get it! much respect for NE from a Dolphin fan.

  58. I was hoping he could get up to speed in the later part of the season and participate in the playoff. BB would not tolerate bad work ethics. It’s just too bad.

  59. justletmesignupok says:
    November 1, 2019 at 2:38 pm
    “He was showing signs of undependability,”

    If only there had been signs of this before they signed him.

    ————

    1,007 yards on 60 receptions and 4 TDs over 17 games. 16.78 yards per reception. Won 14 games with him.

    Can’t complain about his contribution. Good they had him when they did and probably good they have let him go.

  60. Vasteelerfan says:
    November 1, 2019 at 3:28 pm
    In typical Fanboy fashion they trash a player as the walk out the door….very classy.

    —————
    You should keep your own house in order. Pretty sure there was plenty of trash talk out of Pittsburgh about Bell and Brown.

  61. tylawspick6 says:
    November 1, 2019 at 8:35 am
    knew something was up outside of the knee
    ———————————————–
    Gee, thanks, Captain Obvious….

  62. As a patriots fan, the team is not better without him.

    The issue here with his production is the fact that his skill set is negated by the offensive line not giving the protection needed to sprint him free. It is what it is and I wish the kid well. I’ll miss him on the field and hope for his sake he keeps his mind right for his future.

    With JG and AB, I can’t say as a sports fan it really matters to me what happens away from the field. I wouldn’t associate with most of these guys, but they entertain me, same goes for our politicians. All a bunch of clowns in a circus

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