Johnny Manziel’s name resurfaces every few months, usually followed by the same reaction: what a waste of talent. And for good reason. Once a Heisman-winning phenom and one of the biggest stars college football had ever seen, Manziel’s NFL career collapsed as fast as his superstardom did: instantly.
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In two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, he started just eight games, went 2-6, completed a shaky 57% of his passes, threw only seven touchdowns, and was sidelined before he ever found his footing.
To make it worse, his well-publicised off-field problems hurt his potential further. As Manziel revealed in Netflix’s Untold: Johnny Football, by the time he reached the NFL, he was self-sabotaging, lost all passion for football, and drowned himself in a cycle of partying, substance abuse, and depression.
He spiralled so badly that he went on a “$5 million bender” and even attempted to end his own life. Simply put, the Browns never stood a chance and in hindsight, neither did Manziel. But according to Mike Evans, things didn’t have to end this way.
A viral post from the X account ‘NFL Rumors’, a verified page with nearly 400k followers, has claimed that Evans believes Manziel could have been an All-Pro if he hadn’t been drafted by the Browns.
Given Evans’ long-standing, deeply personal history with Manziel, the Bucs WR’s reported endorsement isn’t a shocker. The two were college supernovas at Texas A&M, going 20-6 together while Evans put up 2,499 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Manziel even called Evans “a man amongst boys,” and their chemistry was so absurd that then-rookie Buccaneers GM Jason Licht even considered drafting both of them in 2014.
So, Evans’ sentiment fits everything he has reportedly expressed, i.e., he loves Manziel, empathizes with what he went through, and believes the environment, not the talent, that broke him.
Bucs Mike Evans believes if Johnny Manziel was drafted by another team rather than The Browns he would had an All-Pro career pic.twitter.com/newxyfOU9W
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) December 6, 2025
NFL fans, however, weren’t buying it.
“People have short memories. Manziel had bad, career-destroying habits,” wrote one fan.
Another went after the premise entirely: “Yes. The Browns turned him into an alcoholic douc*ebag who never watched film or opened the playbook. Totally,” said an X user sarcastically. “No, if he wasn’t a total degenerate, he would’ve had a great career,” added a third.
Others, meanwhile, pointed out that countless talented players have wilted in Cleveland: “I wonder how many other players drafted by the Browns that [this] would apply to?”
The reactions certainly highlight a divide that has followed Manziel for a decade, between what he was and what he could have been.
Would things have changed if he had landed in Tampa with Evans? With a healthier culture, a mentor like Vincent Jackson, and his best friend beside him… maybe. But unfortunately, alternate timelines are just that… alternate timelines.
In reality, Manziel failed because his battles (mental, emotional, and personal) were far bigger than football. It’s perhaps time we all move on from the what-ifs, because the player himself clearly has.
