NFL Offseason News and Rumors: Johnny Manziel Signs 4-Year Deal With Cleveland Browns; Ryan Fitzpatrick Named Houston Texans Starting Quarterback
Johnny Manziel is now officially a Cleveland Brown after reportedly agreeing to terms with the Browns, the team announced on Tuesday.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Manziel, who was the 22nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, reportedly signed a four-year deal worth around $8.5 million with a team option on the fifth year of the deal.
Manziel's deal with the Browns reportedly pales in comparison with the endorsement deal he signed since being drafted by Cleveland.
The 21-year-old quarterback previously inked a multi-year endorsement deal with Nike, which has been selling Manziel apparel over the past several weeks.
Manziel, who had 7,820 passing yards with 63 touchdowns and 22 interceptions in two seasons with the Texas A&M, will compete with Brian Hoyer for the team's starting quarterback position next season.
Browns coach Mike Pettine previously said that the celebrated rookie won't get special treatment when the team begins training camp. Pettine said that Hoyer will be the starting QB when camp begins, and Manziel needs to impress in order to have a shot at edging his 28-year-old counterpart.
Meanwhile, the Houston Texans announced that Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the team's quarterback next season.
Texans coach Bill O'Brien announced his decision ahead of the mandatory portions of their offseason build up, saying that the former Buffalo Bills starter, who signed as a free agent with Houston in March, earned the spot with his hard work and dedication over the past several weeks.
"He earned it," O'Brien said via ESPN. "He earned it with his preparation. He earned it with his accuracy."
O'Brien insisted, though, that things can still change later in the upcoming season, which means that Case Keenum and rookie QB Tom Savage still have a chance to bump Fitzpatrick out of the starting lineup.
"Everybody on our team every single day has to go out there and earn their spot on the team, earn their starting spot," O'Brien said. "So quarterback is no different. We have confidence in his ability to lead our football team. He's done a really good job in the offseason of picking up our system and he's executed it well."
The nine-year veteran, who also started nine games for Tennessee last season, tallied 2,454 passing yards with 14 touchdowns last season.
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