Johnny Manziel was not claimed on waivers and is officially a free agent.
The Browns waived Manziel Friday, announcing the move in a short press release and offering no further comment. Players are generally subject to waivers for 24 hours and become free agents if they go unclaimed.
The Browns releasing Manziel had been a certainty since the team released a statement in February and then refused to comment on him. His release becoming official had to wait for the start of the new league year because the Browns had rolled over their remaining 2015 salary cap money into 2016.
Manziel had a little more than $2.1 million guaranteed left on his rookie contract with the Browns.
Manziel clearing waivers is no surprise, and not just because domestic violence charges against him in Texas are pending. It’s hard to imagine any team would have considered trading for him before the Browns officially cut ties Friday.