NFL free agent quarterback Johnny Manziel is practically a household name these days for all of the wrong reasons.
Despite this, NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent expressed the league’s interest in helping the troubled quarterback get his life back on track.
“In this particular case, it’s obvious it’s gotten out of control,” Vincent said per 610 Sports’ The Rob Maaddi Show (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “You see his parents. When a father speaks out about losing his son potentially to substance abuse, you know there’s a problem. Johnny’s not returning phone calls. He’s in different states. You kind of see him, you get notice of where he is off social media and that’s a challenge, but we won’t stop. We’ll continue to keep reaching out, letting Johnny know we love him, we care for him and we’re here when he’s willing and wants and is able to accept assistance, we’ll be there for him.”
Vincent said that he, along with several Cleveland Browns executives have personally reached out to Manziel over the past months.
It would likely take a small miracle for Manziel to actually suit up with another team at this point considering his life is in a constant state of chaos. Recognizing that, Vincent stressed the importance of Manziel making some changes to basically better himself as a human being.
“We’re just hoping that moment happens where Johnny is willing to accept some assistance and get the help that he really needs to just function as an individual. Forget football. But to really get his life turned around so that he can function as a good citizen and a good young man.”
As it stands, Manziel is currently fighting misdemeanor assault charges against former girlfriend Colleen Crowley. But in the meantime, Manziel has made his affairs clearly visible to the public by posting a social media trail of his travels and partying escapades.
Just recently he made it known to the world that he was vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHNfdtKgHAk/?taken-by=jmanziel2
Manziel says he plans to be completely “sober” by July 1 and wants to start interviewing other agents so that he can prepare to play in the NFL in 2016.
Obviously, there is a lot of denial in Manziel’s camp, and it would take a team more desperate than the Cleveland Browns — if such an animal exists — to trust the quarterback at this point.
It is commendable that Vincent hasn’t given up on Manziel when most people not named Von Miller have at this point have pretty much washed their hands when it comes to troubled young man.