Like Brock Osweiler's benching in the Broncos' regular-season finale, Johnny Manziel had his own to-hell-with-the-team moment involving the Browns.
Manziel's rededication to football in 2015 came to an end after he led Cleveland to a victory over Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans in Week 2, according to Sports Illustrated's MMQB.com.
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Manziel had entered a rehab facility during the 2015 offseason, moved to a more secluded location in Cleveland and focused on football. When he got his chance to start (starter Josh McCown was out with a concussion), he dazzled fans with an improvisation late in the fourth quarter resulting in a 50-yard touchdown pass to Travis Benjamin that sealed the Browns' win in that Week 2 game.
"More importantly, Manziel believed the starting job was his," MMQB.com reported. "But when he arrived at the team facility on Wednesday, McCown had cleared concussion protocol, and (coach Mike) Pettine issued unwavering support for the 14-year journeyman. According to sources, Manziel was incredulous. He was a first-round pick and had just led the Browns to their first win in 10 months. He had also done everything the Browns had asked of him the previous offseason - the rehab, the move to the suburbs, less drinking."
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On the surface, it did seem to be a curious move. The Browns were going back to McCown, a veteran without any sort of a résumé resembling that of an elite quarterback, over a second-year player and former first-round draft pick with electrifying talent that had star potential.
Pettine, however, apparently wasn't yet ready to put his full trust in Manziel and wanted his young quarterback to respond with maturity by continuing to work hard in practice, study his playbook, participate actively in team meetings and continue to stay away from his partying ways.
It was a curious fork in the road for the Browns and Manziel. Had Pettine named Manziel the starter, he may have continued to excel in Cleveland and reap the rewards of his changed lifestyle.
At the same time, Pettine was right in not trusting Manziel, based on his subsequent behavior.
"With no support system in place (Manziel's former high school offensive coordinator, Julius Scott, whom Manziel asked to move in with him after Manziel's rehab sting, had moved out. Girlfriend Colleen Crowley had moved in), the benching was a tipping point," MMQB.com reported. "Browns sources say this instigated Manziel's downward spiral.
"... He wanted to party again, so he did, often showing up late to the facility for meetings and, according to a Browns source, sometimes sleeping off hangovers in the back of equipment rooms."
Manziel's breaking point occurred 15 weeks earlier than Osweiler, who was benched in the regular-season finale against the Chargers. Reports later indicated his benching as part of the reason he left Denver to sign with the Texans.
Manziel may have sabotaged the rest of his time in Cleveland to get his release. But unlike Osweiler, Manziel did not have other options.
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