The Cleveland Browns have played just one preseason game, and already there is speculation that Johnny Manziel could be the favorite to land the starting quarterback job come Week 1. Manziel has been closing the gap in the QB race with Brian Hoyer during training camp. However, head coach Mike Pettine insists the job is still up for grabs.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Pettine said in a conference call Sunday that there is no “clearcut favorite” for the starting job and that a report from ESPN’s Bob Holtzman about Manziel moving ahead of Hoyer on the depth chart is “untrue.”
While Pettine said Manziel has shown great improvement, he claims Hoyer has done nothing to lose the starting job to this point. He also said he would like to name a starting quarterback by the Browns’ third preseason game but there is no guarantee it will happen.
A lot of people feel that Manziel should spend some time holding a clipboard before he starts, but it seems like Hoyer is a lame duck. Even if Hoyer does start in Week 1, you know he will be on an incredibly short leash. Fans already want to see Manziel, which is going to put a ton of pressure on Hoyer. It’s only a matter of time before Johnny Football gets his shot.
