Johnny Manziel – What Could Have Been and What Will Never Be

The Final Chapter.

As the season came to a close, Josh McCown played until he literally could not breathe; of course taking shots to the ribs every time the 36-year-old QB dropped back didn’t help. With only a few games left on the schedule Manziel’s hard work, or McCown’s health, led to Mike Pettine naming Manziel the starter for the remainder of the season.

Finally. We get to witness what we have in our 22nd overall pick from a year ago.

SIKE.

Manziel would then lie about a video of him partying with a bottle in his hand during the bye week. For any other player the spotlight might not have been as hot, but for Johnny it was hot to the touch and he got burned, and so did every Manziel supporter across the NFL.

The severity of the partying can be questioned, but the judgment to make yourself visible in that atmosphere and then lie about it to your bosses shoots down any argument of the coaching staff overreacting by declaring Austin Davis the starter for the Monday night game against Baltimore (cue the Kick-6 nightmare.) Pettine was over it. He may have been for a while but that stunt before the Monday night game put a nail in the coffin.

The story of Johnny Cleveland only gets more desolate for Browns fans. Failing to appear for his concussion protocol and reportedly being in Vegas the day of the season finale would be the icing on-top of a crap flavored pastry. More recently, Manziel was spotted in Dallas for the AFC Championship game – drinking, bobbing his head, and having a good time as it looks.

The sad part is, NFL writers and media members across the league are busy breaking down the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos – and rightfully so. At this point, it’s almost equal to laughing at the class clown during a lecture by reacting dramatically to the same situation we’ve seen again, again, and again.

I wish nothing but the best for Johnny Manziel and always will.

Some say its addiction, others say it’s the money, and many are over it at this point. His future on the roster is foggier than an early morning Cleveland spring mist and if newly appointed front man Sashi Brown decides on parting ways with him I don’t feel he will receive much backlash.

So here’s to what could have been and what will never be – the swift rise and fall of Johnny Manziel’s time in North East Ohio.

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