While he enjoyed a pretty solid first two weeks of preseason, Johnny Manziel may be sitting the third contest out
Through the first two weeks of the NFL preseason, if there has been one story to keep in eye on it’s been Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel and his quest for redemption. After a rookie season that was filled with some controversy, and an off-season that was filled with a little more, Manziel has looked like a different player out there on the field through the team’s first two preseason outings.
However, there might not be a third game for Manziel this week when the Browns take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It was reported this past week that Manziel was dealing with some elbow soreness in his throwing arm, and on Wednesday, Browns head coach Mike Pettine noted that while he believes Manziel could test it, it doesn’t make sense to put him at that risk. Therefore, we probably won’t see the Heisman winner out there on Saturday.
“Could he play [Saturday] if he had to?” Pettine said, via the Akron Beacon-Journal. “More than likely he could. But why do that in the preseason?”
With the promise that Manziel has shown through the first two games of the preseason, this is probably a smart move. Josh McCown has not really cemented himself as the definitive starter for the Browns yet, so there’s a chance Manziel could be running the show when the season starts in a few weeks. If Pettine isn’t all that sold on McCown, then it would be a little foolish to risk the arm health of your next best option.
In two preseason appearances, Manziel has scored a rushing touchdown and thrown for a score.
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