Johnny Manziel’s NFL career was controversial from the moment the Cleveland Browns selected him in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Despite his Heisman-winning talent, Manziel struggled with discipline and accountability, and he was out of the league by 2015.
One of the most infamous moments of his brief NFL stint came when he left the Browns while in concussion protocol and reportedly traveled to Las Vegas during the season. Years later, Manziel is opening up about the incident during a recent podcast appearance.
What Really Happened During Johnny Manziel’s Vegas Trip While in NFL Concussion Protocol?
During his second season with the Cleveland Browns, Johnny Manziel reportedly showed up late to a team meeting while preparing to start in Week 17 and complained of concussion-like symptoms. The team dismissed him from the meeting and announced that the quarterback had been put into concussion protocol.
While in concussion protocol, Manziel secretly booked a flight to Las Vegas with the hopes of returning for a mandatory treatment session the following day. This incident, along with many others, led to the Browns eventually releasing Manziel at the end of the season.
On the “Impaulsive” podcast, Manziel recently opened up about the trip, admitting that he did go to Las Vegas while in concussion protocol.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following video contains profanity. Viewer’s discretion is advised.
“I was in concussion protocol,” Manziel said. “I think that like Wednesday or Thursday I decided to hop on the only flight from Cleveland to Vegas.”
Manziel went on to explain that the next morning, he realized that his career with the Browns was already ending, so in turn, he continued gambling and stayed another day.
“Damn, I already pushed this to the max, I’m going to be in deep s***,” Manziel said. He later continued. “There’s not a flight out until God knows when, am I even on the team at this point? Have I already been written off or cut? So I think I just went, got some more money put in, and started gambling.”
The incident was one in a long line of off-the-field issues that Manziel dealt with while in the league. Not only was his personal life a distraction, but his on-field play didn’t help his cause either.
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He finished his NFL career with 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. This was disastrous for a guy who once was the best college football player in the country.
Manziel admits that if he could do it again differently, he would, but the incident in Las Vegas was the final nail in the coffin for his life in the league.
Along with his two seasons in the NFL, the former Texas A&M Aggie played in the Canadian Football League for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Montreal Alouettes. He also spent time with Memphis in the AAF and the FCF Zappers, two semi-pro leagues.