Elbow soreness during practice on Sunday has shut down Johnny Manziel for the preseason. An MRI on his right elbow revealed no structural damage, Browns head coach Mike Pettine informed the media on Wednesday. Pettine added that it is unlikely Manziel plays in the Browns' preseason game Saturday against the Buccaneers, and the team is expected to shut him down for the rest of the preseason, according to ESPN Cleveland.
Johnny Manziel’s preseason might be over
The Browns, however, are planning on adding former Delaware Blue Hen Pat Devlin to the roster.
With the Browns' third-string quarterback, Connor Shaw, also out due to thumb surgery, the team is planning on signing former Delaware Blue Hens quarterback Pat Devlin, according to Fox Sports' Mike Garafolo, to share reps in practice and the team's two remaining preseason games.
"We just wanted to confirm there was nothing structural, and that is the case," Pettine said, via ESPN. "The MRI was certainly a positive result.
“It hasn’t come back as quickly as we had hoped,” he added. “To be cautious, we didn’t want to rush him back now for a preseason game and have it be something that is chronic.”
Pettine said the soreness is the result of Manziel’s three-quarter release and is something that Manziel has been dealing with since high school.
“He’s managed it, and I just think he just went a little bit too far with it,” Pettine said, according to Cleveland.com. “Could he play if he had to? More than likely he could. But why do that in the preseason? If this was the regular season it might be a different story. But we just want to be cautious and not have it develop into something that can continue to bother him throughout the year.”
After a rough rookie year full of turmoil both on and off the field, Manziel has looked improved thus far this preseason. He’s completed 17 of his 29 passes and has two touchdowns (one throwing, one rushing) with no interceptions.
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