Cris Carter: “Browns Should Release Josh Gordon”

Hall of Fame receiver and current ESPN analyst Cris Carter mentioned in a radio interview Monday that the best thing the Browns could do for troubled WR Josh Gordon would be to release him.

“I feel for the kid,” Carter said on Mike & Mike. “My situation was very, very similar. If I’m the Cleveland Browns — and it’s gut-wrenching for me to say this — I really think that the only thing that’s going to help the kid is if they release him.”

Carter has discussed the events that led to his release in Philadelphia numerous times, and has often cited Eagles’ HC Buddy Ryan’s decision to cut him loose as a turning point in his life.

“When they took that away, that was my reality, and that was the catalyst to get me on the road to recovery,” Carter said.

As things stand right now, Gordon is facing a year-long suspension and has an appeal hearing scheduled for late July. He was arrested over the weekend for DWI and was later bailed out of jail by convicted felon, Haydn “Fats” Thomas.

Numerous reports have since come out that Gordon’s future in the NFL is in doubt unless he is able to get some help and hopefully turn his life around at some point.

“We’re dealing with addiction,” Carter said. “We’re dealing with a disease. If Josh had cancer we’d put him in a treatment center. And right now that’s what we need to do for him. But no one wants to do the hard thing. Everyone wants to keep coddling him, the same way they did in high school, the same thing they did at Baylor, where he had problems. Eventually it’s going to blow up. Now it’s blowing up in the National Football League, and his career is in jeopardy.”

Gordon, 23, still has two years remaining on his four-year, $5.342 million contract that includes $3.8 million guaranteed.

Last year, Gordon put together a breakout season recording 87 receptions for 1,646 yards receiving and scored nine touchdowns.