Johnny Manziel last week said he was hoping to make an NFL comeback at some point. He's conceded problems with alcohol and depression, but says he's gotten his life back in order. Whether some NFL team will give him another chance, though, is unclear. Even if he's been able to put his off-field problems in the past, there might not be enough on-field promise for any team to take him on.
Certainly, it sounds like he's done some growing up the last couple of years. He's just 25 years old, a reminder of how young he was when the Browns made him a first-round pick back in 2014. That doesn't excuse all of his off-field issues, including a domestic violence charge.
Manziel might need to go to the CFL to show enough to draw interest from an NFL team, because his NFL work probably won't help. He barely played as a rookie, but when given more opportunities in year 2, he struggled. He completely under 58 percent of his passes, and while that's not necessarily a killer, it doesn't bode well for his chances of NFL success.
Since 200o, there have been 38 quarterbacks drafted in the first round who went on to attempt at least 100 passes in their second NFL seasons. Of those players, 16 had a lower completion percentage than Manziel, and only two of those 16 (Cam Newton and Eli Manning) can really be said to have gone on to have successful careers. Two others (Michael Vick and Sam Bradford) have had some success; maybe they should also be mentioned. Perhaps Mark Sanchez. But the other 11 all washed out of the NFL fairly quickly.
| FIRST-ROUND QBS IN YEAR 2, 2000-2016 (100-PLUS ATTEMPTS) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Pk | Player | Com | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | INT |
| 2014 | 32 | Teddy Bridgewater, Minn. | 292 | 447 | 65.3 | 3231 | 14 | 9 |
| 2006 | 11 | Jay Cutler, Den. | 297 | 467 | 63.6 | 3497 | 20 | 14 |
| 2008 | 18 | Joe Flacco, Balt. | 315 | 499 | 63.1 | 3613 | 21 | 12 |
| 2004 | 11 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 168 | 268 | 62.7 | 2385 | 17 | 9 |
| 2006 | 3 | Vince Young, Tenn. | 238 | 382 | 62.3 | 2546 | 9 | 17 |
| 2011 | 12 | Christian Ponder, Minn. | 300 | 483 | 62.1 | 2935 | 18 | 12 |
| 2016 | 1 | Jared Goff, LAR | 296 | 477 | 62.1 | 3804 | 28 | 7 |
| 2009 | 17 | Josh Freeman, T.B. | 291 | 474 | 61.4 | 3451 | 25 | 6 |
| 2015 | 2 | Marcus Mariota, Tenn. | 276 | 451 | 61.2 | 3426 | 26 | 9 |
| 2003 | 1 | Carson Palmer, Cin. | 263 | 432 | 60.9 | 2897 | 18 | 18 |
| 2015 | 1 | Jameis Winston, T.B. | 345 | 567 | 60.8 | 4090 | 28 | 18 |
| 2003 | 7 | Byron Leftwich, Jac. | 267 | 441 | 60.5 | 2941 | 15 | 10 |
| 2012 | 8 | Ryan Tannehill, Mia. | 355 | 588 | 60.4 | 3913 | 24 | 17 |
| 2016 | 2 | Carson Wentz, Phil. | 265 | 440 | 60.2 | 3296 | 33 | 7 |
| 2012 | 1 | Andrew Luck, Ind. | 343 | 570 | 60.2 | 3822 | 23 | 9 |
| 2012 | 2 | Robert Griffin III, Wash. | 274 | 456 | 60.1 | 3203 | 16 | 12 |
| 2014 | 3 | Blake Bortles, Jac. | 355 | 606 | 58.6 | 4428 | 35 | 18 |
| 2008 | 3 | Matt Ryan, Atl. | 263 | 451 | 58.3 | 2916 | 22 | 14 |
| 2011 | 10 | Blaine Gabbert, Jac. | 162 | 278 | 58.3 | 1662 | 9 | 6 |
| 2005 | 1 | Alex Smith, S.F. | 257 | 442 | 58.1 | 2890 | 16 | 16 |
| 2013 | 16 | EJ Manuel, Buff. | 76 | 131 | 58.0 | 838 | 5 | 3 |
| 2014 | 22 | Johnny Manziel, Clev. | 129 | 223 | 57.8 | 1500 | 7 | 5 |
| 2011 | 1 | Cam Newton, Car. | 280 | 485 | 57.7 | 3869 | 19 | 12 |
| 2002 | 1 | David Carr, Hou. | 167 | 295 | 56.6 | 2013 | 9 | 13 |
| 2011 | 8 | Jake Locker, Tenn. | 177 | 314 | 56.4 | 2176 | 10 | 11 |
| 2002 | 3 | Joey Harrington, Det. | 309 | 554 | 55.8 | 2880 | 17 | 22 |
| 2003 | 19 | Kyle Boller, Balt. | 258 | 464 | 55.6 | 2559 | 13 | 11 |
| 2001 | 1 | Michael Vick, Atl. | 231 | 421 | 54.9 | 2936 | 16 | 8 |
| 2009 | 5 | Mark Sanchez, NYJ | 278 | 507 | 54.8 | 3291 | 17 | 13 |
| 2007 | 1 | JaMarcus Russell, Oak. | 198 | 368 | 53.8 | 2423 | 13 | 8 |
| 2006 | 10 | Matt Leinart, Ariz. | 60 | 112 | 53.6 | 647 | 2 | 4 |
| 2010 | 1 | Sam Bradford, St.L. | 191 | 357 | 53.5 | 2164 | 6 | 6 |
| 2005 | 25 | Jason Campbell, Wash. | 110 | 207 | 53.1 | 1297 | 10 | 6 |
| 2002 | 32 | Patrick Ramsey, Wash. | 179 | 337 | 53.1 | 2166 | 14 | 9 |
| 2012 | 22 | Brandon Weeden, Clev. | 141 | 267 | 52.8 | 1731 | 9 | 9 |
| 2004 | 1 | Eli Manning, NYG | 294 | 557 | 52.8 | 3762 | 24 | 17 |
| 2004 | 22 | J.P. Losman, Buff. | 113 | 228 | 49.6 | 1340 | 8 | 8 |
| 2010 | 25 | Tim Tebow, Den. | 126 | 271 | 46.5 | 1729 | 12 | 6 |
Doesn't mean that Manziel, if his off-field life is in order and he can find a roster spot with a good coaching staff, can't still make it in the NFL. But he's probably going to have to show something in the CFL, and stay clean and sober for a longer period of time, for an NFL franchise to give him a shot.
--Andy Richardson