The Cleveland Browns issued a terse response on Tuesday to quarterback Johnny Manziel’s latest incident, with a strong implication that his days as a Brown may be numbered.
“We’ve been clear about expectations for our players on and off the field,” Sashi Brown, the team’s executive vice president for football operations, said. “Johnny’s continual involvement in incidents that run counter to those expectations undermines the hard work of his teammates and the reputation of our organization. His status with our team will be addressed when permitted by league rules. We will have no further comment at this time.”
The Browns would be able to release Manziel on Feb. 8, the day after the Super Bowl. The new N.F.L. year starts March 9, and ESPN reported that for salary cap reasons, it would be advantageous for the Browns to wait until then to dismiss Manziel.
The latest incident occurred over the weekend, when the police in Fort Worth hunted for Manziel after a woman describing herself as his ex-girlfriend said they had been involved in a disturbance. The police wound up using a helicopter before finding Manziel safe. No arrests have been made.
In October, near Cleveland, Manziel was spotted fighting with a woman as they drove. She later told the police that he had hit her and pushed her head against the window, but he was cleared by N.F.L. investigators. He admitted having drunk alcohol earlier in the day. Manziel spent two months in a rehab facility for undisclosed reasons last winter.
His two years in the N.F.L. have included numerous incidents of exuberant partying captured on video, including an apparent ride on an inflated swan while drinking from a bottle of Champagne.
Manziel was drafted No. 22 over all out of Texas A&M, where he had won the Heisman Trophy as a freshman. Despite his notoriety, his playing time in the N.F.L. has been limited. The backup to Brian Hoyer in his rookie season, he started twice. This season, he was the backup to Josh McCown, and started six games. His career record is 2-6.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/03/s...se.html&eventName=Watching-article-click&_r=0
“We’ve been clear about expectations for our players on and off the field,” Sashi Brown, the team’s executive vice president for football operations, said. “Johnny’s continual involvement in incidents that run counter to those expectations undermines the hard work of his teammates and the reputation of our organization. His status with our team will be addressed when permitted by league rules. We will have no further comment at this time.”
The Browns would be able to release Manziel on Feb. 8, the day after the Super Bowl. The new N.F.L. year starts March 9, and ESPN reported that for salary cap reasons, it would be advantageous for the Browns to wait until then to dismiss Manziel.
The latest incident occurred over the weekend, when the police in Fort Worth hunted for Manziel after a woman describing herself as his ex-girlfriend said they had been involved in a disturbance. The police wound up using a helicopter before finding Manziel safe. No arrests have been made.
In October, near Cleveland, Manziel was spotted fighting with a woman as they drove. She later told the police that he had hit her and pushed her head against the window, but he was cleared by N.F.L. investigators. He admitted having drunk alcohol earlier in the day. Manziel spent two months in a rehab facility for undisclosed reasons last winter.
His two years in the N.F.L. have included numerous incidents of exuberant partying captured on video, including an apparent ride on an inflated swan while drinking from a bottle of Champagne.
Manziel was drafted No. 22 over all out of Texas A&M, where he had won the Heisman Trophy as a freshman. Despite his notoriety, his playing time in the N.F.L. has been limited. The backup to Brian Hoyer in his rookie season, he started twice. This season, he was the backup to Josh McCown, and started six games. His career record is 2-6.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/03/s...se.html&eventName=Watching-article-click&_r=0
