Browns Coach Mike Pettine said Johnny Manziel “violated the [team’s] trust” during the bye weekend and essentially failed a test by showing up on social media partying during his time off.
The result, as the Browns announced earlier Tuesday, is that Manziel is going from being announced as the team’s starting quarterback last week to No. 3 for next Monday’s game with the Ravens.
Pettine discussed the issue Tuesday night on the Mike Pettine Show, a team-sponsored show that airs on the Browns’ two flagship radio affiliates. The Manziel news had been announced via a team statement Tuesday afternoon.
“His decisions led us to much disappointment and frustration,” Pettine said on the show.
Josh McCown will start vs. the Ravens. A rib injury suffered by McCown Nov. 1 had allowed Manziel to start the team’s previous two games.
Pettine said he’d decided to name Manziel the starter as a result of “very positive conversations” with offensive coordinator John DeFilippo and quarterbacks coach Kevin O’Connell about Manziel’s performance and progress as the Browns entered their bye week. Pettine called the move to demote Manziel “a coaching decision” he said general manager Ray Farmer and owner Jimmy Haslam had spoken to Manziel before the bye week about his off-field behavior.
The latest conversations surrounding Tuesday’s move probably weren’t comfortable ones.