Johnny Manziel accepted Cleveland Browns' decision to name Brian Hoyer as the team's starting quarterback in the upcoming 2014 NFL season, and the rookie vowed to work harder to reach his goal.
In a recent interview, Manziel said that he knows that everything should be earned in the league, which is the reason why he will look to get better in order to prove his worth in the upcoming season.
"I need to earn everything for me to get in," Manziel said via ESPN. "Nothing should be given to me, I completely understand that. I need to continue to come in here every day and get better and be around these guys and let them know who I am and how I am."
Manziel, the 22nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, said the he understands Pettine's decision to go with Hoyer, admitting that he was not at his best during their preseason game against the Washington Redskins on Monday.
"He said they were going with Brian and, obviously, to make the most of every rep that I'm getting and you'll get better," Manziel said. "I know that. He didn't need to come in and say that to me. I'm smart enough to know that I didn't play to the best of my abilities last week and need to get better."
The former Texas A&M standout actually had better stats than Hoyer in their first two preseason games. Hoyer completed just 8-of-20 passes for 108 years, while Manziel completed 14-of-27 passes for 128 years with one touchdown. Pettine insisted, though, that he did not base his decision on statistics alone.
"I don't get wrapped up in the numbers," Pettine said. "I think he had some drops you could factor in, some routes that were run at the wrong depth, the wrong angles. It's easy to look at the numbers, but when you look at the tape I think it tells a very different story."
Pettine declined to comment, though, when asked if Manziel will get a chance to start in the coming season, saying that anything can happen from their week 1 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
