Johnny Manziel put forth a convincing game as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in Week 10. Head coach Mike Pettine went round and round on who would be the starting quarterback against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but ultimately Manziel got the nod and while the Brown lost, he had good numbers as the quarterback. The question is whether or not he will get another chance to prove himself as the Browns consider whether or not Manziel is part of their future.
Manziel's game was one of the better showings of his short NFL career. The quarterback went 33-of-45 in passing with just one interception compared to the 23 completions he had in his first two starts combined. Manziel did not find the endzone while the Browns racked up 188 penalty yards in the process falling to 2-8. With a bye week coming up, Pettine must now make the decision of whether or not Manziel stays put as the starting quarterback. Josh McCown is healing from a shoulder injury that could be fine come Week 12, but Manziel stresses he wants to play.
"I want to keep playing," Manziel said, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Every game that I play, I keep learning, and I feel like things keep slowing down. I keep getting better."
Manziel is now wrong about that as he has shown improvement, playing better as a pocket passer and leading positive drives. Pettine told the media that he would not bench players just to see what the younger guys can do. The Browns' season is over and many believe they should start getting a look at roster depth to see what they have to work with. Pettine is not interested in the idea, but giving Manziel more playing time could be beneficial.
McCown is not the long-term quarterback option and the Browns need to decide if Manziel is. The team opted not to grab a quarterback in the last draft, hoping that Manziel would develop, but if he is not given playing time, that will not happen. According to Bleacher Reports' Jason Cole, the Browns are looking at outside options. They have been linked to a trade for Matthew Stafford. They have already shown interest in Sam Bradford. Kirk Cousins will be available. Zach Mettenberger and Mike Glennon will be trade options. However, first they need to make a call on the future of Manziel. Pettine might not want to play the younger guys just for the sake of throwing in the towel, but getting Manziel on the field could be important to the rebuilding effort.
