Johnny Manziel heads into Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals second on the depth chart behind Austin Davis, but that could change at some point within the next week.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that there is a decent chance Manziel will get his starting job back this season and possibly as early as Week 14 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Davis, who played well against the Baltimore Ravens last week and brought the Browns back from behind late in the game, could probably secure the job for at least another week if he plays well against the Bengals. If Cleveland somehow pulls off the upset, Mike Pettine will almost certainly stick with Davis in the short-term.
Rapoport notes that there are some close to the team who believe Pettine is simply trying to “exert his presence” by keeping Manziel on the bench. If the Browns still believe that Manziel could be their quarterback of the future, the higher-ups may pressure Pettine into giving the 22-year-old a chance down the stretch.
One Browns reporter has speculated that the team will part ways with Manziel after the season, but there’s a reason he hasn’t been waived despite his growing list of off-field concerns. Why is Manziel is still on Cleveland’s roster after that embarrassing incident with his girlfriend and the video that showed him partying during the bye week? Common sense would tell you the Browns have not given up on their former first-round pick.
