The Cleveland Browns suffered through a long playoff drought from 2002 until 2020, but plenty of standout athletes emerged from those teams.
Legendary tackle Joe Thomas – who was enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame – never saw the playoffs despite being a 10-time Pro Bowler from 2007 until 2017.
Josh Cribbs – a return specialist on this year’s initial Hall of Fame ballot – roamed the Cleveland field from 2005 until 2012 and retired two years later.
One player who had the potential to become a Browns great was former Pro Bowler Josh Gordon.
After a dozen years where he played for five NFL teams, the 33-year-old Gordon officially announced his retirement from football (via X).
🚨BREAKING: Legendary #Browns WR Josh Gordon plans to RETIRE from football.
Per source, he was only interested in playing in the NFL or retiring.
Gordon had a historic start, recording 1,646 receiving yards in his 2nd season, earning All-Pro & Pro Bowl honors. He also won an SB pic.twitter.com/d9lxvrMJmD
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) September 25, 2024
Gordon’s career was derailed due to off-the-field issues, missing more than three full seasons from 2014 until 2017 due to suspensions from the organization and the NFL.
After joining the Browns during the supplemental draft in 2012, Gordon had a fast start to his NFL career.
In 2012, Gordon snagged 50 catches for 805 yards and a touchdown during his rookie season.
His best year was in 2013 as the wide receiver caught 87 passes for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns, earning his lone Pro Bowl nod that year.
Following that, Gordon’s affairs away from football exposed the player to multiple suspensions.
He played in only five games during the 2014 and 2017 seasons for Cleveland and was suspended for the entire 2015 and 2016 campaigns due to off-the-field issues.
After starting the first game of the 2018 season, Cleveland elected to trade the talented wide receiver to New England where he posted 40 receptions for 720 yards and three touchdowns before stepping away from football later that season to seek professional treatment.
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