Overview
- Manziel replied on X to Cleveland radio host Tony Rizzo with a profanity-filled post Wednesday after ESPN Cleveland and Rizzo discussed a resurfaced Nightcap clip in which Manziel said he rooted for the Browns to go 0-16.
- The tweet used a homophobic slur and included a direct shot at Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson by referencing massage-therapy lawsuits that led to multiple settlements and an NFL suspension.
- Manziel defended his short Browns tenure in the post, saying the 2015 roster and team decisions doomed him and name-checking draft pick Justin Gilbert and coach Mike Pettine.
- No official response from the Cleveland Browns or the NFL has been reported and the exchange has primarily played out on social media and local radio coverage.
- The episode ties into broader, ongoing issues for the franchise, including Cleveland’s costly 2022 trade for Watson, his settled legal claims and 11-game suspension, and his missed season while recovering from two Achilles surgeries.