Brady Quinn is the latest person to object to Johnny Manziel’s off-field behavior.
Quinn, a former first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns who last took snaps in the NFL with the Chiefs in 2012, was a guest on Sirius XM NFL Radio and talked about how he didn’t like what he saw in the latest Manziel Instagram video to go viral.
The video, which contains explicit language (seen below), shows Manziel holding a stack of money up to his ear. Manziel appears to be extremely faded and wasted in the video:
Quinn was critical of Manziel and said he didn’t think the young QB was setting a proper example off the field.
“The thing I’m most worried about is what you’re kind of seeing off the field,” Quinn said as transcribed by Ohio.com. “Some people say you can work hard and play hard. But I think my biggest issue with it is when you’re drafted in the first round, you’re the face of the franchise, and when you’ve got a video that comes out like that, I understand he’s trying to have a good time and live his life off the field, but there’s a little kid watching that, and now he’s looking up to him as a role model. And for me, personally, I have a little bit of an issue with it.
“I don’t think that’s the way you want to conduct yourself. If you’re asking [Browns owner] Jimmy Haslam, ‘Is that really what you want the face of your franchise doing and having out there?’ I just don’t think it’s right. I don’t think it’s respectful to the other veteran players, too, right now who are probably trying to take care of their bodies, trying to prepare to go into a winning season right now instead of doing things like that off the field.”
Quinn then brought up Russell Wilson as a comparison.
“I always revert back to [Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl-winning quarterback] Russell Wilson only because he’s so young. He’s been so successful, but you see all the time his good works. When he’s out there on camera or out there on Twitter, whatever it is, he’s at a hospital with sick kids, giving them gifts, trying to brighten up their day. That’s the kind of role model I want for my franchise, and I don’t understand why [Manziel] can’t interject more of it into his life. He’s got such a following. So then try to do it in a positive way to help kids who are sick or people who are homeless, whatever it is, but just try to do it in a more positive manner.”
There are a few points I would make here. For one, Manziel didn’t post this video, so it’s not like that’s the image of himself he wanted to advertise. However, if you’re not out partying and getting wasted like that, that sort of thing wouldn’t be caught on camera anyhow. And I don’t think it’s right to compare Manziel to Wilson and for us to assume that Wilson is a great guy just because of what he chooses to show us on social media. That could make him a phony for all we know.
I won’t be quite as critical of Manziel as Quinn was, but I will say that particular video makes the former Heisman Trophy winner look like a total idiot. I’m guessing he’s not proud of it, either.
