Johnny Manziel Sacked By Cleveland Firm — Are The Cleveland Browns Next?
Johnny Manziel is living on borrowed time in Cleveland after his tumultuous season with the Browns, New York Daily News writer Justin Tasch penned this week. In addition to his maturity, Tasch calls into question his mental capacity and desire.
“But not only did Manziel fail to distinguish himself on the field, he was a huge distraction off it. He spent time in rehab last spring, calling into question the 23-year-old’s maturity and mental health… Now it seems only a matter of time before the relationship between Manziel and the Browns is terminated as well.”
The harsh words may be the reality Johnny faces in the future, no matter where he plays football in the future, especially if his playing career continues with Cleveland. Should he return to the Browns next fall, Manziel faces a new coach, as Mike Pettine was fired after the season.
“I will continue to support and advise him as a friend. However, because Johnny needs to focus on personal growth, the next phase of his career and because LRMR continues to expand beyond marketing, we made the mutual decision that it was best to terminate our business relationship.”
LeBron James also commented on the situation, showing the distance that had grown between the two superstars that share Cleveland as a home. James called on the Browns quarterback to get his personal life in order, The Post Game reported on Friday.
“I don’t know all the details on it, I really kind of even haven’t been all up on it, but I’ve heard a little bit of it and it’s just a distraction for not only himself but for everyone that’s around him, including family, people that represent him, the people around him. He’ll figure it out at some point, we all hope.”
The season was not all doom and gloom for Johnny, however. Manziel showed promise at times during the year, including a Week 10 game where he threw for 372 yards on 33-of-45 passing, adding a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Seemingly, for every sign of progress Johnny Manziel delivered for the Cleveland Browns, Johnny made up for it with a bout of stupidity. Following the Steelers’ loss, Manziel promised his coaching staff he would avoid being a distraction during the bye week that followed. Johnny failed to live up to that promise, by appearing the next week in a wild party video from Austin, Texas.
Pettine decided he’d had enough and decided to bench Manziel in an attempt to punish the player. But, an injury in December prompted a return to the starting lineup for Johnny and another chance to shine.
Briefly, Manziel did just that for the Cleveland Browns. The quarterback led his team to a win against the San Francisco 49ers, going 21-for-31 and 270 yards against the home-standing club. The next two weeks, Johnny continued to keep things interesting for the Cleveland Browns, including a 108-yard rushing performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in a 17-13 loss.
While Johnny may have been finished on the field, he wasn’t nearly finished off of it. The quarterback was spotted in Vegas wearing a disguise the night before the team’s final game of the season, and he was a no-show for his medical treatment the next day.
Having a new coaching staff would hurt any possibility of Johnny returning to Cleveland. His previous offensive coordinator, John DeFilippo, thought Manziel would “bounce back” from his situation, even if his future playing career wasn’t in Cleveland.
Do you think Johnny Manziel will continue to play for the Cleveland Browns after this season? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
[Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images]
