Cleveland Browns Johnny Manziel Rumors: Josh McCown Not Guaranteed To Start, Hope For Johnny Football

All hope is not lost for controversial Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel, the No. 22 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft who appears destined to begin 2015 as a backup. According to head coach Mike Pettine, veteran free agent signee Josh McCown isn’t locked in as the Browns’ Week 1 starter as most had assumed.

During OTAs McCown drew nothing but praise from Pettine and Browns general manager Ray Farmer. "Until you feel you've found what you would call a long-term solution [at quarterback], I don't think we could have done any better than bringing in a guy like Josh McCown," Pettine said in June.

"To me, time will tell, but there's so much that he does behind the scenes that people just can't appreciate from everything you talk about - leadership, all the intangible stuff. He's truly a team guy. He's all about winning football games."

Farmer said similar things. "He is a special, special person. He is the right guy, in my mind, to have on this Browns team. He can lead. He can support. One of the things that's big in my life is servant leadership. You've got to part of the group to serve the group, and he's that."

Manziel only started two games in 2014, throwing two interceptions and no touchdowns in a brief stint that included a 30-0 loss to the division rival Cincinnati Bengals in his debut. After getting injured, Manziel checked himself into a rehab facility for 10 weeks, and has since renounced his signature money sign celebration so that he draws less attention to himself.

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