Johnny Manziel may not play in 2014?
By Josh Sanchez
The Cleveland Browns named Brian Hoyer their starting quarterback on Wednesday, so what is next for Johnny Manziel?
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Many believe that Manziel could end up taking over after the team’s bye week if Hoyer continues to struggle like he has throughout the NFL preseason, but head coach Mike Pettine also says that there is a different scenario he could see playing out.
According to Pettine, this is not a situation where Hoyer’s job is up for grabs and there is a “scenario where [Manziel] doesn’t play this year.”
“Give me a crystal ball and I’ll give you that answer,” Pettine said about whether or not Manziel will play, via ESPN.com. “The season is so long. So much can happen, and we don’t want … Brian looking over his shoulder thinking, ‘Hey, I make one bad throw and I’m out.’ But over time, if you feel you need to make a change — it’s not just at quarterback, it’ll be at other positions as well. You have guys that you have penciled in that you hope can be that guy for you for the year, but that rarely works out in the league. Time will only tell.
“You could see a scenario where he doesn’t play this year, and then there are other scenarios that are absolutely possible as well. It’s hard to tell.”
Manziel showed maturity when he openly accepted his back up role, but the fire has to be there to prove he is capable of becoming the team’s starting quarterback by the end of the regular season.
If Hoyer does struggle, it is hard to believe the Browns will be able to ignore the pressure to put Manziel on the field.
Cleveland could also have special packages for Manziel to get some reps under his belt throughout the first few weeks, so we will just have to wait and see what the Browns have in store.