Reportedly Facing An Indefinite Suspension, Josh Gordon Has Stepped Away From Football To Focus On His Mental Health

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— Flash Gordon (@JOSH_GORDONXII) December 20, 2018

#Patriots WR Josh Gordon is facing another indefinite suspension for violating terms of his reinstatement under the substance abuse policy, per source. He announced today he’s stepping away to address his mental health.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 20, 2018

This sucks. This just sucks. Regardless of what uniform he happened to be pulling over his pads on Sundays, things are better when Josh Gordon is playing football. Mostly because that more than likely means he's clean of both body and mind, but also because his immense talent - while still largely unrecognized - can be awe-inspiring at any given moment. It's not entirely surprising that even the most sympathetic of NFL locker room isn't the place for someone whose demons are as rife as they are relentless, but it's still saddening that the monsters in his head won't stop standing in the way of his livelihood. Be it mental health, substance abuse, or what appears to be a combination of both, the only person capable of totally stopping Josh Gordon is Josh Gordon, and that's a tough thing for people who don't have those same issues to understand. 

That said, this news is a reminder of why it was never fair to criticize the Browns for having had enough and moving on after years of sticking by his side, no matter how slight the final straw seemed to be. It's a reminder of just how premature the Randy Moss comparisons were. Josh Gordon wasn't just some entitled malcontent or some pothead that just wanted his chips to taste better that needed nothing more than a quick left on 'Patriot Way' in order to be guided back on the right track. He's an extremely talented and deeply troubled individual whose other shoe was hanging on by a lace in being a constant threat to drop. I hope he finds the help he needs, but let's not forget that the help he needs was always very unlikely to be fully found in an NFL locker room alongside 52 other players, no matter how supportive they were. 

Oh, and - long story short - if this is as simple as Josh Gordon needing marijuana to maintain his mental health then the NFL is an absolute joke. Not that we didn't already know that.