Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel has released a statement. Manziel is now unemployed and it may be a while before he gets a chance in the league again.
“I’d like to thank the Browns for the opportunity they gave me — nearly two years ago, we all hoped that we were building what could be a championship team for Cleveland,” he said. “I will always remember the support I received from the organization, my teammates and especially the fans.”
His release from the team has been speculated for weeks now. He knew that he was going to be released by the end of the day on Friday; however, the team did not wait until the end of the day to get rid of him.
Even new head coach Hue Jackson when he was hired by the team that he wanted to get rid of Manziel. He didn’t want to deal with the headache that former head coach Mike Pettine had to put up with for the two years that he was with the team after being their 2014 NFL Draft’s first-round pick.
According to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, he was paid $7.7 million by the Browns for his eight touchdowns and seven interceptions in two seasons.
While he’s without a job, his new team will have to take into account of his past actions. These actions even include being a no-show for the team’s season-finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers, as he was partying in Las Vegas.
Also, including telling friends to lie to team officials about a video of him drinking just days after being named the team’s starter for the rest of the season. He was then demoted to the third-string and then to the back-up to Josh McCown.
The teams will also have to take into account that he’s waiting to hear back the results of a grant jury in Dallas about a potential domestic violence charges involving his ex-girlfriend Colleen Crawley. In their latest incident in Feb., he reportedly threatened to kill her then himself in a murder-suicide.
He also reportedly caused Crowley to have a busted eardrum.
Manziel was urged to get medical help by his parents. However, he refused on two different occasions. It’s unknown if they’ve tried to get him help since those two times even though he’s been partying it up like crazy over the past few days.
The Dallas Cowboys have been long considered a landing spot for him. However, even with owner Jerry Jones’ love for Manziel, the team will not pursue him after his latest run-in with the law.
Manziel was a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. This past season, he made six starts in 10 appearances.
He had a 2-4 record as a starter. He went 129-of-223 for 1,500 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had five interceptions and was sacked 19 times.
As a rookie in 2014, he went 0-2 in two starts with five appearances. He went 18-of-35 for a 175 yards and two interceptions.
