Johnny Manziel may be leaving rehab soon after taking a weekend golfing trip with his father, but according to at least one member of the Cleveland Browns, the quarterback has a lot of work to do if he wants to win back to trust and respect of his teammates.
Perennial Pro Bowler Joe Thomas, the team's starting left tackle and best player, said of Manziel, “I think he’s going to have to prove to the team that football is important and being the man, being the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, is important, it is his goal, his single goal in his life,” according to ESPNCleveland.com.
After last season ended, an anonymous teammate said Manziel was a "100 percent joke" who was clearly unready to play, stating that undrafted rookie Connor Shaw was more well-prepared to start than Manziel at the end of the season.
On this front, Thomas said, “You know, I think he lost probably a lot of trust among the guys on the team last year by the way he handled himself once he became the starter. And I think he had a lot of time to reflect, I’m guessing, after the season was over by the comments he made in the media and by his actions, checking himself into rehab, . . . I think those were really positive steps."
Manziel's decision to enter rehab this offseason has generally been met with positive vibes from teammates, with former Browns starter Brian Hoyer saying it "takes a big person" to check yourself in and get the help you need.
Still, the Browns have been connected to various quarterbacks this offseason, indicating Manziel may not necessarily be in their future plans, or that if he is, there's no guarantee he's thought of as a future starter any longer. They signed Josh McCown earlier in the offseason -- though he is getting up there in age and has essentially a half-season track record of quality play -- and rumors have floated both Sam Bradford and Marcus Mariota as possible targets.