Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon may be back with the team and eligible to play, but head coach Hue Jackson isn’t immediately going to hand him back his starting job just yet.
Per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, Jackson has ruled out starting Gordon, who has only just returned following his treatment plan focusing on his mental health, for their Week 1 opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
However, it’s important to point out that the “starter” designation doesn’t exactly make too much of a difference. While Gordon won’t start from the very first play, he may still play a good number snaps and receive the lion’s share of targets on the team.
Article Continues BelowGordon still has yet to fully participate in practice due to a hamstring tweak, but chances are he should be fit and ready to play a significant role against the Steelers even if he isn’t technically a starter.
This decision by Jackson may just be a ceremonial move to show that Gordon can’t simply slot back into his starting role even after missing all of training camp. It sends a message to the team that even a top player like Gordon will need to earn back that starter title, as inconsequential as it is.
But even though he won’t “start,” Gordon will likely play a big part against the Steelers as long as he’s healthy to do so.