The Cleveland Browns have no choice but to look for silver linings, and it appears they’ll get one next Sunday.
The Browns plan to activate wide receiver Josh Gordon for their Week 13 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday, citing a source. That would put Gordon back on an NFL field for the first time since Dec. 21, 2014, after missing the last two seasons due to suspension for repeated violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.
Gordon was granted conditional reinstatement from his suspension earlier this month and finally was cleared to practice for Cleveland last week. He now can return to the Browns “at the team’s discretion,” according to Rapoport, and it appears he’s finally ready to make his comeback.
“I felt pretty good,” Gordon told reporters Friday, via NFL.com. “I think I knocked that rust off prior to getting back into the building, so that was what I was looking forward to do.”
The former All-Pro’s return should generate plenty of buzz in Cleveland; he flashed his incredible potential during a 1,646-yard, nine-touchdown campaign in 2013 and claims he’s clean now after struggles with substance abuse. Then again, the Browns likely will ease Gordon into action, considering he hasn’t played an NFL snap in nearly three years.
