Johnny Manziel's NFL fate is in his own hands. But that may be contingent upon agreeing to return to rehab.
Browns coach Mike Pettine talked about Manziel's offseason priorities, saying he needs to get his off-the-field affairs in order, or else he may find himself out of chances in Cleveland, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
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"I think he's shown on the field that he can [be the quarterback of the future], but we always talk in terms of long-term, sustained success," Pettine said. "And that's what you want to strive for, and if things aren't right off the field, that's very difficult to have that level of consistency, especially when you're in a position of leadership."
But when asked directly about whether the Browns will issue an ultimatum to Manziel to enter a rehabilitation facility for the second time in two years, Pettine basically went the "no comment" route.
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"No, that's a personal thing," he said. "I'm not going to get into it."
Manziel spent 11 weeks in a rehab facility during the 2015 offseason for undisclosed reasons, after a tumultuous rookie season that included more fanfare for his preseason partying than his play during the season.
The former Texas A&M Heisman Trophy quarterback had a much quieter offseason and earned more playing time this past season, showing a much stronger command of the Browns offense.
He improved his passing efficiency rating from 42.0 to 79.4 from 2014 to 2015. He appeared in 10 games, starting six, and throwing for 1,500 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions.
But he had a series of red-flag stumbles during the season, all with alcohol involved. In October, Manziel and girlfriend Colleen Crowley were arguing on the side of a street near Manziel's home in Avon, Ohio, when police arrived on the season.
Manziel admitted to drinking, and Crowley originally told police that Manziel "pushed her head against the glass of the car," according to an ESPN report.
During the Browns' bye week in November, a video of Manziel suggesting that he was partying and drinking went public, and Manziel lied to the coaching staff, saying that it was an old video when in fact it was new.
Finally, another video surfaced last month showing Manziel apparently with another alcoholic beverage in his hand.
Cleveland offensive coordinator John DeFilippo added that Manziel regressed on the field in his last appearance against the Chiefs.
"I thought Johnny did take a step back in his techniques last week," DeFilippo said. "I do. I told him that. He knows that. I told him that after the game. That is something that is going to be a constant work in progress with him to not revert back. I don't think he reverted back to where we got him started, but he took a step back to me in terms of some of his mechanics."
The Browns can fix those issues. Whether they feel they need to step in and force Manziel to fix is off-field issues remains to be seen.
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