If Josh Gordon has his druthers, the wide receiver's return to the field Sunday will be anything but quiet.
The Cleveland Browns star told NFL Media's Nate Burleson that he plans to "tear this league up" over the next six weeks.
"He told me: 'Starting on practice this Wednesday, I'm going to outwork everybody on the field,'" Burleson said Tuesday on NFL Network's NFL Total Access: "(He said) 'I'm going to try to evoke a pride in Cleveland that can hopefully lead us to the playoffs.' He's excited about coming back."
Burleson spent training camp with the Browns and recalled a conversation with Gordon before the pass-catcher was shipped away to serve his 10-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.
"He said, 'I plan to lose 10 to 15 pounds and when I come back I'm going to tear this league up,'" Burleson said. "Now, this offense is different; it's not the same offense as last year. So, they're not going to be running and gunning, throwing the ball up the sideline, but definitely look for them to get Josh involved early, kind of to get his rhythm back."
Falcons coach Mike Smith insists he doesn't buy a word of Mike Pettine's poetry about Gordon being eased back into the offense. Neither do we.
As we mentioned on *NFL NOW*, Kyle Shanahan's run-heavy Browns scheme represents a stiff departure from last season's pass-happy attack under Norv Turner. Still, Shanahan has long made good use of his No. 1 receiver -- something the Browns finally possess.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews Chiefs-Raiders and reacts to the drama in D.C. as well as Adrian Peterson's suspension. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.