Former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel is one of the most talented players in the NFL—just not the most successful one.
At his best, the quick-thinking, ever-scrambling quarterback has the unique ability to turn nothing into something on the field—a rare quality that separates him from most other quarterbacks.
He’s also one of the most frustrating players to root for, though, which probably made his benching even harder for Browns head coach Mike Pettine, who demoted him to third-string status on Nov. 24 after video surfaced of Manziel partying over the weekend.
But Pettine had no other choice. The Browns can’t have a repeat of Manziel’s performance last year when it appeared he hadn’t put in the necessary work off the field to be all he could be on it.
Before we jump all over Manziel for partying, though, let’s get one thing straight: Plenty of players like to party. Look at Rob Gronkowski of the Patriots. How often do we see photos of him living the high life in Las Vegas?
The difference is that the two-time All-Pro Gronkowski would appear to be balancing his party life and football life the way it should be done.
This is where Manziel seems to be lacking.
Last year, as social media signs pointed to the talented quarterback partying off the field, his on-the-field play was absolutely dreadful. The former Texas A&M star wound up with a 42.0 quarterback rating, going 18/35 passing for 175 yards, with no TD passes, 2 interceptions, and a fumble on the season.
For the Browns last year, watching their first-round pick struggle on the field couldn’t have been easy while struggling to a 7–9 record, knowing how much he could have helped them.
