Stephen A. Smith was “pissed” and “disgusted” Thursday after Josh Gordon announced he was stepping away from football to deal with mental health issues, which came with a subsequent report indicating the New England Patriots wide receiver also was facing a suspension for violating the terms of his reinstatement under the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
Max Kellerman was far more understanding.
While Smith focused primarily on the talented wideout’s wasted opportunities, Kellerman expressed compassion toward Gordon, who’s been suspended multiple times over the years while batting substance abuse problems. Kellerman even indicated he’d continue to give Gordon chances to succeed at the NFL level, so long as he’s not harming anyone but himself.
“Shame does nothing. It doesn’t help,” Kellerman said Thursday on ESPN’s “First Take.” “Being addicted to drugs does not make you a bad person. It’s a weakness, it needs to be addressed, the struggle goes on. There’s no end to the struggle. This is life. We struggle every day; we just try to struggle better. And he’s trying to struggle better.
“If he committed a crime, if he hurt someone, that is bad, and I will say that if and when that news ever came out about him. But the idea that he should be castigated today because he is abusing a substance or substances, well why do you think he’s been taking Xanax and weed since he was a teenager, since he was a young kid? The guy has problems. He’s a superhuman athlete, but he is still a human being.”
Gordon played in 41 games over six-plus seasons with the Cleveland Browns before being traded to the Patriots in September. He appeared in just 10 games from 2014 through 2017, even missing the entirety of the 2015 and 2016 seasons due to substance abuse suspensions.
Gordon still flashed his potential at times, though, and things seemingly had been going well in New England, with the 27-year-old drawing rave reviews from the Patriots’ coaches and quarterback Tom Brady. The 2013 Pro Bowl pick totaled 40 catches for 720 yards with three touchdowns in 11 games with the Patriots.
Now, it’s fair to wonder whether Gordon’s NFL career is over. And while that’s a shame, it certainly pales in comparison to the off-field struggles Gordon continues to endure while trying to straighten out his life.
