National Football League

No itch, no 'drama' for Manziel

Published Oct. 25, 2014 2:06 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

BEREA, Ohio - Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel continues to wait his turn.

If he's getting anxious, he's neither showing nor saying it.

"I don't really know if that's my role right now," Manziel said Friday when asked if he's itching to play. "I'm just staying in my own lane and trying to get better."

Until last week, Browns starting quarterback Brian Hoyer had been one of the unlikely success stories of the young NFL season. Hoyer went just 16-of-41 as the Browns went flat in Jacksonville to slip to 3-3.

No quarterback change was made, and there's really no reason to think one is looming. But the fact remains that Hoyer is under contract only for the rest of this season, the Browns drafted Manziel in the first round last May and Manziel, who's played in two games in quick cameos, is working every week to get himself more ready than he was during training camp.

"I don't know if it's my job or my place to sit here and measure how I'm doing every week," Manziel said. "For me, it's coming in and when I sit down on a Monday or Tuesday and we get a chance at a game plan... (it's progress) when you sit and look at the plays and they spring in your head a lot quicker. You don't have to sit there and picture in your mind and move everything around. It comes a lot more naturally. That's progress for me.

"And obviously I feel like I'm throwing the ball better week by week and still continuing to work on my mechanics. I think little things that add up will go a long way for me."

Manziel isn't pressing for playing time -- and said he doesn't plan to. He's a rookie, he's the backup for now and he knows that people are watching closely.

"I'm still just playing my role what these coaches have for me, so I don't think it's any eagerness or urgency or anything," he said. "If the time down the road comes where it's my time to get in the game plan, then when that chance is, I think I need to capitalize on those moments.

"I think there's been enough drama around me and my life for a couple of years now. So for me, I know whenever camp was over and we got into the roles of who was going to play what role, Brian was named the starter and I was named the backup, and now I need to play my role of the backup. And that's that."

share

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Football League