It’s time to find out if Johnny Manziel can be Johnny Franchise for the Cleveland Browns.
“The performance against (the Pittsburgh Steelers) validated for us the progress that he has made, the improvement he has shown and that he deserves this opportunity,” Browns coach Mike Pettine said Tuesday of his decision to appoint Manziel the team’s starting quarterback for the remainder of the season.
“It’s something that we understand where our season is, at this point, and this is a kid that we have invested a lot in. This will give us an opportunity to see how far he has come and what he’s capable of.”
The message is clear: This is Manziel’s time to prove he’s the franchise quarterback the Browns have sought for so long.
Incumbent starter Josh McCown may be the safer bet. The Browns know what they’re going to get with him: a steady, unspectacular veteran who can manage games. But Cleveland is 2-8 and likely isn’t going to the playoffs. Time to find out whether the first-round pick spent on Manziel last year was a sound investment.
The decision comes on the heels of what was Manziel’s best statistical performance in his first two NFL seasons. He completed 73.3 percent of his passes for a career-high 372 yards with one touchdown and one interception in Sunday’s 30-9 loss to the Steelers.
The 22-year-old has only five career starts, two coming over the past two weeks while McCown dealt with a rib injury. McCown is now fully healthy. But if he were to remain the starter, the Browns would enter Year 3 of Manziel’s career in 2016 with no better clue as to if he can turn potential into production.
And the Browns potentially have another major decision to make in a few months. They’re currently positioned to pick first in next year’s draft and need to know if quarterbacks need to again be atop their board.
Manziel has completed 59.4 percent of his passes this season for 933 yards and five touchdowns against two interceptions. He has also added 90 rushing yards.
But his maturity issues remain an ever-present factor.
Police questioned Manziel after he and his girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, were involved in a heated roadside argument last month. Despite undergoing offseason rehabilitation for an undisclosed substance-abuse problem, Manziel admitted to drinking that day. Crowley told police that he also pushed her head into a car window during the incident. However no arrests were made and no charges filed.
The NFL ruled Tuesday that Manziel would not face discipline. But the league's investigation had left his status uncertain at a time when the Browns needed him.
“We’re always concerned about our players outside of the building,” Pettine said. “We talk to them about it. They know there’s a standard of behavior that they have to live up to. He and I got the chance to sit down this morning. I won’t go into details, but that was one of the things that came up in the discussion.”
His status as the undisputed starter for the rest of the year is as much about him showing he can handle pressure off the field as well as handling it between the lines.
“I let Pett know I'm not going to do anything to be an embarrassment to the organization,” Manziel said Tuesday.
Manziel may ultimately be a failure as an NFL quarterback. On the other hand, he may become a serviceable – or maybe even effective – player.
The Browns don’t know yet, but they’re about to find out.
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