Mike Pettine 'can sense' Johnny Manziel's frustration with not playing: 'He's quiet, you can feel it'

Mike Pettine senses Manziel's frustration Browns coach Mike Pettine discusses Johnny Manziel's transition from star college quarterback to pro backup.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns coach Mike Pettine revealed Wednesday that he knows  Johnny Manziel is frustrated with not playing.

"I can sense it,'' said Pettine.

How can he sense it?

"Well, I just think that he's quiet. I just think you feel it,'' said Pettine. "I'd be shocked -- maybe I'm imposing it on him -- but you feel it because you know what kind of competitor he is. Here's a guy that's gone from the past how many falls being out there making plays to standing there and having to watch. The competitor that he is is one of the biggest reasons we brought him here. So if he didn't feel that way, I'd be shocked.''

Pettine said he hasn't specifically addressed the matter with the former Heisman Trophy winner.

"But I check in with him, as I check in with most all of our guys periodically,'' said Pettine. "But that's a position that can be frustrating. To go from being the guy at (Texas) A&M, that's a tough thing as the reality of the season has clearly set in. But at the same time, we make sure that he's preparing like a starter.

"It can happen in the span of one play. You see it around the league all the time. He has to be ready to go, he has to be prepared and there's no reason to think that he's not.''

Pettine said Manziel's work ethic has been good. In addition to running the scout team -- where he's going off-script but making big plays --- Manziel gets a few reps a day with the first-team offense.

"He comes here and I think does a good job in the room, he and (practice squad quarterback) Connor (Shaw) helping Brian (Hoyer) out being prepared for an opponent,'' said Pettine. "And then how he carries himself on the field. He goes out and competes and does what he can to get better.

"None of us have a crystal ball. We don't know when it could happen, and it's important that ... the frustration is natural for him to deal with, but he does have to be ready to go.''

Pettine acknowledged that it's tough to get a good evaluation on Manziel until he sees significant playing time. So far, he's gotten in for four plays this season.

"He's certainly shown flashes (of being a good NFL quarterback)  but we won't truly know until he gets out there in an actual game and in meaningful time,'' he said.

He admitted he's curious to see how Manziel will perform if thrown into action. They "briefly discussed '' putting him in at the end of the loss in Jacksonville, but wanted to let Hoyer try to finish on a better note.

"I think we all do (wonder how he'll do),'' said Pettine. "I mean, that's a question that we need to have answered but it's not something that you can force. Brian's our starting quarterback. That's a difficult thing to say let's just go ahead and.. all the games are meaningful now.

"If it ever gets to the point whether we're potentially up big, down big, or if there's a situation that calls for him to go in, we'll get an opportunity to see him, but there's a lot of football left to be played. You're looking for an evaluation at some point, but what I'm saying is I don't think you can force it.''

He said he has no idea how it will all play out, in part because Hoyer is in a contract year. The two sides are not currently negotiating and might not do so until after the season.

"We drafted Johnny in the first round,'' said Pettine. "Brian Hoyer at that point, when we drafted Johnny, was very much a question mark, coming off the (torn ACL), last year of a contract. It was important for us to address that position.

"Based on how he's performed, he's shown the ability in glimpses to be a starting quarterback here in the NFL, and that's the biggest reason that we brought him here. We don't know what the future holds with Brian. I hate talking about contract stuff, but that's the reality of the NFL and we'll see how it plays out down the road.''

Pettine was also asked about a tweet from Manziel at 4:30 Monday morning, after the Browns' 23-13 victory over Oakland. It read "Legendary night'' and mentioned Terrance West in the tweet.

"I don't know whether he was still up or whether he was waking up early and getting ready to come into work,'' Pettine said. "We keep an eye on it. We're not going to micromanage our guys out of the building. We expect them to be mature and handle themselves. So, if something is a cause for alarm especially in season, that we'll address it.''

West, when asked about it Wednesday, said, "we were up early to work out. Legendary workout.''

Pettine was also asked if a quarterback can sit for two or three years nowadays, the way Steve Young and Aaron Rodgers did. In the case of Manziel, the No. 22 overall pick, his four-year deal is worth a total of $8.248 million -- not a huge financial commitment.

"To me, it's look at your roster,'' Pettine said. "Who gives you the best chance to win? And if you have a guy on your roster that's doing that for you and somebody's sitting and waiting, I think the mistakes are made when teams get impatient that they have to know or that guy has to play. I think it's easy in coaching world because it's, 'Hey, who gives us the best chance to win today?' We'll worry about tomorrow down the road."

Hoyer, who sat behind Tom Brady for three seasons, knows exactly how Manziel feels.

"Yeah, I think anybody who's a competitor - and we all know Johnny and I are great competitors - you want to be on the field,'' he said. "I know from my past experience, when you're not playing you want to be out on the field. Unfortunately, in this sport, there's only one quarterback,  but I think he's done a great job of taking advantage of the reps he gets on the scout team, the reps we get him on offense and just continuing to learn what it is to be a pro. I think he's done a great job."

Hoyer acknowledged that Manziel's in-game input has been beneficial.

"Yeah, we talk on the sidelines,'' said Hoyer. "It's especially good - obviously I talk to (offensive coordinator) Kyle (Shanahan) - but to talk to another player who's seeing things. He might see it differently than the coaches or whatever it might be. It's good. We have a good working relationship, and I think he's done a great job of the role that he's in - embracing it. He's probably disappointed he's not playing, but any competitor would be. That's a good thing to have."

Last week, Manziel was asked about sitting behind Hoyer, who was coming off the worst game of his career at the time. Manziel's been on the field for only four plays this season, including the nullified reception from Hoyer in week three against the Ravens. That's four straight games without so much as a play, despite the "Johnny Package'' being available every week.

"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 gameplan, then when that chance is, I think I need to capitalize on those moments.''

He was careful not to create controversy by saying he wants to play.

"I think there's been enough drama around me and my life for a couple of years now,'' he said. "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.''

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