Johnny Manziel Gets Honest On Relationship With Josh Gordon

In a blast from the past, former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel took time to open up in an interview with Shannon Sharpe.

Manziel, who the Browns drafted with the 22nd overall pick in 2014, is more famous for his off-field struggles than his on-field performance.

During his interview with Sharpe, Manziel opened up about said struggles, which included excessive drinking and substance abuse.

He also opened up about his relationship with another Browns player who is famous for having the same struggles, wide receiver Josh Gordon (via Club Shay Shay on Twitter.)

. @jmanziel2 on @JOSH_GORDONXII:

“I saw a side of Josh that the rest of the world didn’t get to see… He struggled with a lot of the same things I struggled with. And I tried my best throughout those times to be a better influence around Josh.” pic.twitter.com/3GoF1yRrYF

— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) February 23, 2024

Manziel stated that he had a great relationship with Gordon as the two shared a similar bond of wanting to be great at football while still wanting to hang on to their partying ways.

While Manziel said that the two never did drugs together, he could have been a better influence overall than he was.

However, he did mention that he was a better influence than many of Gordon’s other friends, who made no attempt to shield Gordon from potential trouble.

For Gordon, his vice was marijuana, and he was suspended five different times for failing drug tests.

He was eventually suspended indefinitely but was able to rejoin the NFL in 2020 with the Seattle Seahawks.

On a bright note, both Manziel and Gordon seem to have turned their lives around, overcome their issues, and are now in better places than ever.

They remain close friends and now bond over golf rather than football.

While Browns fans are happy to see both men in a good place, Manziel and Gordon remain some of the biggest “what-ifs” in Browns history.

Both players had incredible talent and potential, but their off-field issues got the better of them, and neither player was able to live up to their full potential.