After a tumultuous offseason, Johnny Manziel might still have a shot to earn the starting quarterback spot for the Cleveland Browns.
Speaking with local media, head coach Mike Pettine said “I’m not guaranteeing Josh [McCown] will start against the Jets” on opening day, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer:
#Browns Pettine said McCown is still likely opening day starter but "I'm not guaranteeing Josh will start against the Jets'' on opening day
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) July 27, 2015
This is a great sign that Manziel’s work off the field is paying dividends on it.
The former Texas A&M star had been living it up, playing up to his larger-than-life personality during his rookie season. The results weren’t pretty, and Manziel realized he needed to turn his life around. After a two-plus month stay at a rehab facility, he came back with a vengeance, spending hours in the film room and earning the praise of many team leaders for his changed demeanor.
Now, apparently Manziel has a legitimate shot to unseat the veteran McCown.
If he does earn the starting role, it will be a tremendous boost for Cleveland. Blessed with plenty of natural talent, Manziel has the ability to make game-changing plays on every snap. By contrast, McCown is quite vanilla and has been mediocre for most of his career.
He’ll need to prove himself every single day in camp to earn the role, but if he does, then the Browns would certainly be more fun to watch this season.
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