Browns' Hue Jackson says 'nothing good' to come from Josh Gordon's profile on past issues

ByPAT MCMANAMON
November 29, 2017, 5:45 PM

— -- BEREA, Ohio --? Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson?was blunt when talking about a recent profile of wide receiver? Josh Gordon that will appear in Sports Illustrated.

"Obviously there's nothing good that comes from those things," Jackson said Wednesday.

Gordon's profile detailed what he said were his past issues with gangs, crime and violence -- Gordon told SI he carried a gun as a teenager but never shot at anyone "maliciously" -- and talked about his return to the Browns after being suspended for the past two seasons.

Jackson said the incidents Gordon described were from his past; the incidents described go all the way back to high school.

"Hopefully that's all we'll hear from that," Jackson said. "I'm sure there will be lessons learned from him for all of that. I said this a long time ago: There's cleansing people go through in these situations. But like I said, I don't think there's anything great about that.

"That's a tough article."

This was the second eye-opening profile Gordon did with the national media. He spoke with GQ shortly before rejoining the Browns, and said that he had drank or used a drug before every NFL game he'd ever played.

In the Sports Illustrated interview, he described himself as a casual drinker after he joined the NFL. The SI profile questioned the stories Gordon told, and described his business manager Michael Johnson as doing all he could to control the narrative for financial gain.

Gordon also talked about being involved with gangs in Houston, taking part in armed robbery, drug dealing and carrying a gun every day he was in high school. The interview took place a few weeks before he was reinstated by the NFL on Nov. 1.

Gordon did not meet with the media on Wednesday, but is scheduled to talk on Thursday.

Jackson said the team did discuss the article, and it was not swept under the rug. But nothing has changed with Gordon's status. He was on the practice field and the plan is for him to be active and play on Sunday in Los Angeles against the Chargers.

"He's still got to earn the right to be here," Jackson said. "He's earned the right to get back here. He's got to earn the right to be here each and every day, and he's been outstanding thus far here. And again, all the things I think were talked about were past behavior.

"Obviously I think he understands that the antennas are up everywhere, and they should be."