New Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson may not want any part of Johnny Manziel, but the same cannot be said for the team’s owner.
Jimmy Haslam expressed reluctance Thursday about parting ways with Manziel when asked about the possibility of dropping the quarterback. According to the Akron Beacon Journal, Haslam, speaking at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, said he will not answer questions about keeping Manziel.
“They’ll make all those calls personnel-wise, including quarterbacks. So I think that’s a question for them, probably for another day,” Haslam said via the Beacon Journal’s Nate Ulrich.
Given that he was not ready to cut ties with Manziel and is letting others make that decision, it’s no surprise he feels the team’s relationship with the quarterback can be repaired.
“Oh, yeah, I don’t think there’s any question about that,” Haslam said. “We talked to Johnny before he left [for the offseason]. I know a big deal was made that Hue hasn’t called Johnny yet. Well, we’ve got 53 players on the active [roster] and 10 more, and there were a couple of other real prominent players that he just talked to in the last day or two. So I’m sure he’ll get around to talking to him.”
If Jackson really wanted Manziel, you know he would have already called him. Any new coach’s first calls go to the most important players, and that generally includes the quarterback. But it’s pretty clear from the comments he made that Jackson doesn’t want the former Heisman Trophy winner. Neither would we.
