There are those legendary NFL quarterbacks who are known for obsessing over game tape, trying to find even the smallest detail that can help them win each Sunday.
Then, there’s former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel.
Manziel and his former agent, Erik Burkhardt, revealed in the newly released Netflix documentary, “Untold: Johnny Football,” that the former Heisman winner did not watch any tape during his two-year stint in Cleveland.
“Their GM’s calling me going, ‘He doesn’t watch tape,’” Burkhardt, the co-head of football for Roc Nation, said in the documentary. “I’m like, ‘Well, he’s got to watch some tape.’
“He’s like, ‘E.B., his iPad hours is 0.00.’”
The camera then shifts to Manziel, who holds his fingers on his left hand in the shape of an “O.”
“Zero,” Manziel said.
These stunning details about Manziels’ lack of preparation help paint the picture of why the now-30-year-old quarterback did not succeed in the NFL after a brilliant college career at Texas A&M.
The Browns, under then-general manager Ray Farmer, selected Manziel with the 22nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Farmer, who lasted just two seasons as the Browns’ GM, is seemingly the person Burkhardt had the conversation with regarding Manziel’s minimal film sessions.
Burkhart detailed in a Twitter thread Tuesday how Manziel lost his bag with his cleats and clothes prior to his workout with the Browns.
“In the previous nights haze, somehow @JManziel2 also lost his bag (how was this not in his hotel room??!!🤦🏻♂️)…,” Burkhardt tweeted.
Manziel played in just five games and started two in his rookie season, failing to throw a single touchdown pass and tossing two interceptions.
The Browns started eventual journeyman Brian Hoyer over Manziel during that 2014 season, in part due to lack of dedication to his preparation.
“Johnny Manziel was not told that he is not the starting quarterback until Wednesday morning. On Tuesday evening he was … at the Cleveland Cavaliers game, sitting courtside, and it made people inside that organization, they wanted to see how he would handle potentially starting,” Jay Glazer said at the time, as transcribed by Pro Football Talk.
“And there he is, instead of, if you’re getting your first-ever NFL start, they would hope that you’re either gonna be at the complex or home and just getting ready for the Indianapolis Colts. He wasn’t, he was with the Cavs.”
Manziel started six games in 2015 among his nine appearances and threw seven touchdowns to five interceptions.
The Browns went 2-4 in his starts and 2-6 overall spanning the two years.
Manziel was released by the Browns in March 2016 due to his on-field performance and his off-the-field issues.