How happy is Johnny Manziel that the Cleveland Browns are 4-3, have won three of their past four games and are still very much in the playoff hunt? The former Heisman Trophy winner may be pleased that he currently plays for a winning team, but that doesn’t mean he is content holding a clipboard every week.
According to Browns coach Mike Pettine, Manziel is feeling rather frustrated.
“I can sense it,” Pettine said Wednesday, via Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I just think that he’s quiet. I just think you feel it. I’d be shocked — maybe I’m imposing it on him — but you feel it because you know what kind of competitor he is.
“Here’s a guy that’s gone from the past how many falls being out there making plays to standing there and having to watch. The competitor that he is is one of the biggest reasons we brought him here. So if he didn’t feel that way, I’d be shocked.”
Welcome to life as a rookie in the NFL. For every Andrew Luck and Cam Newton there are 30 guys who have to patiently wait their turn like Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. Brian Hoyer is simply more experienced than Manziel and has been doing enough to win.
“To go from being the guy at (Texas) A&M, that’s a tough thing as the reality of the season has clearly set in,” Pettine added. “But at the same time, we make sure that he’s preparing like a starter. It can happen in the span of one play. You see it around the league all the time. He has to be ready to go, he has to be prepared and there’s no reason to think that he’s not.”
Despite Cleveland’s success, Pettine is still keeping Hoyer on a short leash. He admitted that he considered benching Hoyer for Manziel in Week 7, and we all know Pettine won’t hesitate to put Manziel in as soon as he feels the Browns are in need of a spark.
Hoyer is a free agent after the season, and the Browns probably aren’t going to re-sign him. The team drafted Manziel with the intention of him being the quarterback for years to come. Johnny Football must know the plan has not changed simply because Hoyer has won a few games.
