More than a decade after being drafted in the first round, Johnny Manziel is still making headlines. This time, he’s unloading some uncomfortable truths about his short-lived NFL career. On a recent appearance on “Impaulsive,” the former Cleveland Browns quarterback didn’t hold back when reflecting on the two years he spent in Cleveland.
For a player once hailed as a college football phenom, the road from Heisman to hindsight has been anything but ordinary. What he revealed shocked even his harshest critics.
Why Did Johnny Manziel Hate Playing in Cleveland?
Manziel, now 32, acknowledged that his NFL career could’ve gone very differently. “I don’t know about one of, like, the all-time greats, but I definitely could have been a person that played in the NFL for 8 to 10 years, had a really good career, got to a second contract, you know, had success. You know, I had a lot of talent, a lot of ability, that I know was special,” he said, citing the talent and ability he once had.
However, he also admitted that he never truly committed to the work needed to succeed at the next level.
Then came the gut punch.
“To be honest, f**k man, I hated Cleveland so much. And I know that’s going to be tough to hear. That place definitely added to my fucking depression along the way, for sure,” said Manziel. He explained that living in the city contributed to his depression and took a toll on his mental health.
Even now, the bitterness lingers. Manziel said he knew from early on that Cleveland wasn’t the right fit, joking that “anywhere but Cleveland” would’ve been an upgrade. The cold, the pressure, and the culture clash were too much for a young player fresh out of playing in Texas.
Could NIL Deals Have Changed Manziel’s NFL Decision?
Looking back, it’s hard not to wonder how much a different landscape would have impacted Manziel’s choices. During an interview with Greg McElroy, he admitted he never would have declared for the NFL had college athletes been allowed to profit from name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals at the time.
“I would have taken a pay cut had I gone to the NFL,” Manziel said. He estimated that staying at Texas A&M with NIL money would’ve been just as lucrative, if not more so, than being a first-round draft pick. In his words, “a couple million bucks in College Station goes a really, really long way.”
That kind of money, along with more time to mature, may have changed everything.
Manziel’s NFL story will always be one of the biggest “what ifs” of the past decade. From his record-breaking college run to his dramatic exit from pro football, his legacy is equal parts stardom and squandered opportunity.
But now, with brutal honesty and rare self-awareness, he’s at least owning it. In doing so, he’s giving fans and critics alike a clearer picture of just how much was left on the table.
