Johnny Manziel’s rookie NFL season is ending as it began, with attention firmly focused on his off-field activities.
The Cleveland Browns rookie, on injured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury last week against Carolina, reportedly threw a party on Friday night that several team-mates may already be regretting attending.
Manziel himself was late for a physio session the day after the party, leading to the Brown sending their own security team to the quarterback’s home to search for him, while fellow rookie Justin Gilbert has been made inactive for today’s regular season finale in Baltimore for missing yesterday’s practice.
Worst hit is wide receiver Josh Gordon, whose own off-field history saw him suspended for the first ten games of this season. He also missed yesterday’s walkthrough and was suspended for today’s game. The suspension, coupled with the earlier ten-game ban, means Gordon has failed to reach the six-game threshold to earn a year of ‘accrued service’, meaning he will have to wait another year before hitting the big money of free agency.
It’s an inauspicious end to Manziel’s first year as a pro, with the first-round pick looking like a dud during the two games in which he did get on the field and spending the rest of time generally infuriating management and coaches in Cleveland.
