Browns Flameout Johnny Manziel Details Tense Relationship With Fellow QB Brian Hoyer

The Browns have had their fair share of quarterback busts over the years, but none may have turned out worse than Heisman winner Johnny Manziel in 2014.

Manziel's selection in the first round of that year's draft came with plenty of excitement from fans who hoped the Texas A&M star would finally solve the organization's long-standing QB nightmare. Instead, he embarrassed the franchise on multiple occasions due to his very public partying and poor play, leading to his flaming out within two years.

Earlier this week, Manziel joined Shannon Sharpe's podcast, Club Shay Shay to talk about his time with the Browns and opened up about the tense relationship he shared with veteran QB Brian Hoyer. Apparently the Cleveland native wasn't too keen on sharing a meeting room, or a locker room for that matter, with Manziel.

"My quarterback room was not a home run for me , because of Brian Hoyer," Manziel said. "Brian Hoyer had been waiting on an opportunity to be able to go really provide for his family, get an opportunity and he saw how much of an upper hand he had on me and he didn't hold back when it came to that. There was instances in the quarterback room early on, where I'd ask the same question a couple times and he'd be at the head of the table and go 'pfft...again? We're doing this again?'"

It's easy to understand why Hoyer was so cold toward Manziel. For starter – as Manziel himself said – Hoyer had spent five years grinding to earn an opportunity to be a starting QB job and did have an edge over the rookie in terms of experience. Not only that, but there have been numerous stories told of Manziel's unwillingness to put in the work to get better.

In Netflix Untold sports documentary series, Manziel even admitted himself that he watched no film outside of the team's practice facility. With that context, it's even more understandable why Hoyer didn't necessarily embrace Manziel. 

For what it's worth, the ex-Brown said he doesn't hold any ill-will toward Hoyer, who spent the 2023 season with the Raiders but is set to be a free agent.

"I don't have a bad word to say about Brian Hoyer," he told Sharpe. "That is just fact of what happened in that room."

Sharpe followed up by asking if others would confirm Manziel's anecdote. The QB urged Sharpe to talk to Connor Shaw, who was Cleveland's third string QB during that 2014 season.