All-Time Browns QBs Ranked: Graham #1, Kosar #2

Johnny Manziel

Retired 1 Year In The NFL
🏆 Heisman Trophy (2012)
Johnny's
HAIR
8.5
HeyTC AI Rating

Questions about Johnny Manziel or the Browns?

Johnny Manziel Legacy

HEYTC AI
Johnny Manziel was college football’s ultimate chaos creator, a 6-foot tornado in shoulder pads who turned broken plays into folk tales. At Texas A&M he didn’t just win the Heisman as a freshman; he hijacked Saturdays, turning the SEC into his personal improv stage. The defining snapshot is Tuscaloosa in 2012: No. 1 Alabama, the ball bouncing off a helmet, Johnny scooping it up, resetting, slicing the Tide like it was backyard two-hand touch. The pro career fizzled, but “Johnny Football” remains a time capsule of pure, unfiltered college football electricity.

Johnny Manziel Rating Breakdown

Season
Subpar
Fantasy
Subpar
Playoffs
Non-Factor
Overall
Cooked
1 year with the Browns

Johnny Manziel Career Stats via Wikipedia

1,675 Pass Yards
7 Touchdowns
7 INTs
57.0% Comp %
8.5 HAIR
2-6 Record

Johnny Manziel Career Timeline

HEYTC AI
2023 1

Netflix documentary revisits his rise and fall

Johnny Manziel’s career and off-field spiral were revisited in a 2023 Netflix ‘Untold’ documentary, which detailed his rapid ascent at Texas A&M, his short-lived Browns tenure, and his struggles after leaving the NFL, effectively cementing his story as one of the league’s most infamous what-ifs.

2021 1

Plays in Fan Controlled Football league

Manziel resurfaced again in Fan Controlled Football, a startup indoor league, where he became one of the early marquee names and a symbol of his transition from failed NFL prospect to alt-football curiosity.

2018 1

Returns to pro football in CFL

After two years out of football, Manziel signed in the Canadian Football League in 2018, attempting to reboot his career with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and then the Montreal Alouettes, marking his first significant professional snaps since leaving the NFL.

2016 1

Released by the Cleveland Browns

Following two turbulent seasons marked by inconsistent play and off-field issues, the Browns released Johnny Manziel in March 2016, leaving him out of the NFL after only two years and no playoff appearances, Pro Bowls, or major NFL awards.

2015 1

Becomes part-time starter, Browns bottom out

In his second season, Manziel saw more action and made multiple starts but could not stabilize the position as Cleveland stumbled to a 3–13 record under Pettine, who was fired after the season, effectively ending Manziel’s brief run as the Browns’ quarterback of the future.

2014 2

Rookie season with Cleveland Browns

Manziel spent most of his rookie year backing up Brian Hoyer under head coach Mike Pettine, struggling to earn playing time before making a few late-season starts for a Browns team that faded from a 7–4 start to a 7–9 finish and missed the playoffs.

Drafted by Browns in first round

Johnny Manziel was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 22nd overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, entering the league amid massive hype after his electrifying college career at Texas A&M.

1 years in the NFL

Frequently Asked Questions About Johnny Manziel

How does Shedeur Sanders compare to Johnny Manziel?

Right now, Shedeur Sanders is the Browns’ grown‑up version of what fans hoped Johnny Manziel would be. Manziel flashed chaos-ball electricity but finished with just 1,675 yards and 7 TDs in Cleveland, more meme than mainstay. Sanders is the opposite: polished, poised, and already the adult in the room. If Manziel was a viral clip, Shedeur is a full-season series.

Is Johnny Manziel in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

No, Johnny Manziel is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he’s nowhere near the Canton conversation. His NFL run was a brief, chaotic cameo: 1,675 passing yards, 7 touchdowns, and a whole lot more tabloid ink than wins. He’s an unforgettable college icon, but at the pro level he’s closer to a “30 for 30” subject than a bronze bust candidate.

What is Johnny Manziel doing now in 2026?

In 2026, Johnny Manziel is living that post-football, media-influencer hybrid life. He’s hosting his “Glory Daze” podcast, popping up around College GameDay discourse, and even turning his possible 2026 Gameday appearances into a prediction-market storyline. He’s more content creator than quarterback now, mixing Aggie nostalgia, gambling tie-ins, and just enough drama to keep “Johnny Football” trending.

How would Johnny Manziel perform in today's NFL?

Drop peak Johnny Football into today’s flag-football‑adjacent NFL, and he’d have a puncher’s chance. With spread concepts, RPOs, and rules protecting quarterbacks, his off-script creativity would play better than it did a decade ago. The catch is the same as ever: could he live in the playbook, take coaching, and win from the pocket? Physically, yes. Professionally, that’s always been the unresolved question.

How does Johnny Manziel compare to Otto Graham?

Comparing Johnny Manziel to Otto Graham is like stacking a cult indie film against a dynasty epic. Manziel had a flicker of excitement but finished with an 8.48 rating on HeyTC’s Browns scale, a curiosity more than a cornerstone. Graham sits in another universe: a 62.63 rating, multiple titles, and the blueprint for winning football in Cleveland. One’s a wild story; the other built the standard.