As if Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel hadn’t already given the team more than enough reasons to never trust him again, here’s another. According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, Manziel lied to the Browns about the circumstances surrounding the photos that surfaced following his bye-week excursion to Texas.
Per Glazer, Manziel not only told the team that the photos weren’t taken over the weekend but also recruited others to vouch for the falsehood.
The news underscores the fact that Manziel simply isn’t ready to be a full-time NFL starter, and perhaps never will be. Apart from the medical condition that resulted in a 10-week stay in rehab, Manziel has shown a troubling lack of maturity and self-awareness.
After getting the starting job for the rest of the season, with a chance to parlay that six-game audition into the full-time gig for 2016 and perhaps beyond, Manziel didn’t dedicate himself to doing everything he could to becoming the best quarterback he could be. (Manziel should read Peter King’s article on Carson Palmer’s approach to absorbing a game plan for an example of the level of commitment required.) Instead, Manziel opted to take a break, going to a place where he knew alcohol would be unavoidable, putting himself in position to be photographed partying, and then concocting a flimsy fabrication to cover it all up.
So, basically, Manziel squandered in one weekend whatever trust he had rebuilt with the team following his disastrous rookie season. Coach Mike Pettine would be foolish to trust Manziel a third time, and at this point the only reason to keep Manziel around is to eventually try to unload him onto Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for a draft pick or two.