Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel says he still holds a grudge against the franchise nearly a decade after his failed NFL career.
Speaking on the “Nightcap” podcast with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner said his experience with the Browns left him permanently embittered.
“I think I’m going to be pissed at them and hate them forever,” said Manziel, 32. “It is what it is, man. No love for the Browns, I’m rooting for 0-16 seasons every season.”
Drafted 22nd overall in 2014 out of Texas A&M, Manziel played in 14 games over two seasons with Cleveland before being released in 2016 amid off-field troubles. He went 2-6 as a starter and in total was 147-of-258 passing (57 percent) for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. Teams now play 17-game seasons.
He later had brief stops in the Canadian Football League, the Alliance of American Football and Fan Controlled Football before leaving the sport.
Manziel acknowledged personal responsibility, saying he “let an amazing opportunity slip,” but he faulted Cleveland for failing to put him in the right situation to develop as a quarterback.
The Browns, who have started 40 quarterbacks since 1999, went 3-14 last season and are expected to begin 2025 with veteran Joe Flacco under center and 2025 draft picks Dillon Gabriel (third round) and Shedeur Sanders (fifth) as reserves.
–Field Level Media
