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Johnny Manziel Confesses Wild Game Day Routine He Hid From Cleveland Browns at the Height of Substance Abuse Issues

Nearly a decade later, Johnny Manziel’s Cleveland Browns stint still feels like a story that couldn’t possibly have happened. His time in Cleveland is remembered less for what he did on the field and more for the controversy that followed…

Yardbarker

Published: Saturday, 3 October 2026 at 9:01 PM

Key Things to Know

Johnny Manziel confessed to sneaking out at 5 a.m. on game days to smoke and play FIFA.
Manziel stated that former teammate Josh Gordon joined him in the routine during their Browns tenure.
Cleveland drafted Manziel 22nd overall in 2014 before releasing him after two seasons in March 2016.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel revealed on the Glory Daze show that he hid an extreme game-day routine during his NFL career. Manziel admitted that he and teammate Josh Gordon would sneak out of the team hotel at 5:00 a.m. before home games, return to his apartment to smoke marijuana, and play FIFA ahead of kickoff.

The former Heisman Trophy winner was drafted 22nd overall in 2014, but his NFL stint was heavily disrupted by substance abuse, partying, and missed obligations. Head coach Mike Pettine eventually demoted Manziel before the Browns officially released him in March 2016.

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