In Search of Relevance, Johnny Manziel Confirms in Viral Video Why He Flamed Out So Quickly in Cleveland

The Browns' former first-round pick managed a paltry 2-6 record as a starter over two short-lived NFL seasons.

Nov 5, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) reacts during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

For two magical seasons in College Station, “Johnny Football” turned the college sport on its head, becoming the first ever freshman to deservedly win the Heisman Trophy in the process.

Less than a year into his professional career as a first-round pick with the Cleveland Browns, Johnny Manziel was already being hailed as one of the franchise’s most embarrassing draft choices.

Now an old clip of Manziel on the “Night Cap” podcast with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson has resurfaced, with the quarterback confirming why he never made it with the Browns, or any other professional football team after he left Texas A&M. 

“I sit here today and I go back and forth with, ‘Am I gonna let Cleveland off the hook and just like, let it go? Or am I gonna sit here with hate and animosity in my heart for the rest of my life?’. I finally sit here today, and I’m like ‘f--- it,’ I think I’m gonna be pissed and hate them for the rest of my life. It is what it is, man. No love for the Browns. I’m rooting for 0-16 seasons, every season.”

Why Johnny Manziel can’t seem to get over his failure with the Browns

It’s been over a decade since the Browns cut Manziel after two miserable seasons, with one anonymous player describing the quarterback as “100 percent joke” throughout his first year, according to an in-depth ESPN story.

Yet, at 33 years-old and after also flaming out of the CFL, Alliance of American Football, and Fan Controlled Football, Manziel still can’t seem to accept the fact that he’s the main culprit for his failed pro career. 

Otherwise, what are the Browns “on the hook” for, in Manziel’s eyes? Handing him $7.7 million for a 2-6 record?

If there’s one thing that’s obvious from Manziel’s attempt at engagement is that there’s still no accountability. One of Manziel’s several red flags before the 2014 NFL Draft keeps manifesting itself as his own immaturity leads him to “hate and animosity” for a town that, on that fateful May 8th, 2014 night, welcomed Manziel as one of its own. 

No one did more -- or less -- in Cleveland to turn those cheers into boos than Manziel himself, who recently added a one-and-done MMA fighter record to a resumé filled with brief stints and half-hearted attempts everywhere. 

Listen, as an organization, the Browns are truly flawed. No one can dispute that. But the team tried hard to make Manziel work. He was uninterested. 

But calling out the franchise that’s partly responsible for enabling Manziel to live his post-football life “four or five days a week” on the golf course, by trading up for him in the first round is just weak. 

Many things could have, and should have, been done differently. The Browns have whiffed on several more draft picks since then, and to this day, there’s still no franchise quarterback on the team. Manziel didn’t find any success as a football player anywhere, after leaving Texas A&M.

Even if the viral clip isn't from a recent appearance, it's still a harsh reminder of why character matters in the NFL.