Dick LeBeau will be 'very surprised' if Johnny Manziel doesn't play Sunday
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said he will be "very surprised" if Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel does not play in the team's season-opening game in Pittsburgh on Sunday.
"I'll be very surprised if we don't see him," LeBeau said, according to USA Today. "He was one of the top football players in the nation. You look at his offensive numbers. It's not a magic wand he waves out there. He's creating situations, making plays. They're going to want to bring him along and give him game action. I'm sure of that."
The Browns announced last month that 28-year-old Brian Hoyer would be the team's starter.
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Cleveland selected Manziel with the No. 22 pick in this year's draft. Over four preseason games, the Texas A&M product and former Heisman Trophy winner completed 30 of his 59 pass attempts for 296 yards and two touchdowns.
LeBeau also said he thinks Manziel will be successful as an NFL quarterback
"I think he is going to be a handful for all of us," LeBeau said, according to The Plain Dealer in Cleveland. "You watch all his games and he created plays, he made plays, he kept plays alive.
"He has the ability to see people and the touch with the football to get it in there late in the down. I think he will be successful at this level."
Manziel has reportedly struggled to grasp the Browns' playbook and said, after Hoyer was named starter, that he didn't "necessarily" feel that he was ready to be the starter.
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Browns coach Mike Pettine has said that he is unsure if he will make a "permanent commitment" to either quarterback.
- Chris Johnson
