Johnny Manziel is halfway through his rookie season in the NFL. He's thrown one pass.
The Cleveland Browns have taken a patient approach with the quarterback, and Mike Pettine acknowledged Wednesday that he believes Manziel is frustrated with his limited role behind Brian Hoyer.
"I can sense it," said Pettine, according to the Northeast Ohio Media Group.
Pettine was asked to clarify his feelings.
Pettine said Manziel's work ethic preparing behind Hoyer and playing with the scout team has been good. Pettine hasn't had any conversations with Manziel about where the quarterback's head is at.
"But I check in with him, as I check in with most all of our guys periodically," said Pettine. "But that's a position that can be frustrating. To go from being the guy at (Texas) A&M, that's a tough thing as the reality of the season has clearly set in. But at the same time, we make sure that he's preparing like a starter. It can happen in the span of one play. You see it around the league all the time. He has to be ready to go, he has to be prepared and there's no reason to think that he's not."
Manziel has been on the field for just four snaps this season, which can be considered one of the biggest surprises of the 2014 season. The Browns are in the playoff race and Hoyer has played well enough to keep the job. It's fair to wonder if Manziel sees any tangible playing time as a rookie.
If the Browns decide to re-sign Hoyer, things get even more interesting.
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