Andrew Hawkins: Anonymous Johnny Manziel story is ‘1000% made up’

If anonymous Cleveland Browns players truly did sound off about the team’s decision to bench Johnny Manziel in favor of Josh McCown, Andrew Hawkins insists he was not one of them.

In fact, Hawkins took to Twitter on Tuesday to accuse TMZ of citing false sources and fabricating the story altogether.

This story is %1000 made up. https://t.co/2wYU0rnkXw

— Andrew Hawkins (@Hawk) September 29, 2015

TMZ claimed to have spoken to several Browns players who were furious that McCown has remained the team’s starting quarterback now that he has cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol. The three players who provided quotes were supposedly offensive starters.

When he announced he was sticking with McCown last week, Browns coach Mike Pettine acknowledged that the entire team might not be in favor of the decision.

“There might be some differences of opinions. I doubt you are going to have your entire team 100 percent on board with what you are doing,” Pettine said, according to Mark Kay Cabot of Northeast Ohio Media Group. “We are confident that our guys are going to be behind Josh and go out and play hard.”

While McCown may be the safer choice in some ways, Manziel certainly brings a level of excitement to the team that a 36-year-old journeyman just can’t provide. Don’t be surprised if the leash on McCown is very short, whether anonymous teammates want him out of not.