Johnny Manziel wishes he did things differently in Cleveland — and with Lebron James.
The 2014 first-round pick of the Browns, who infamously flamed out in his brief NFL tenure, expressed regret on Wednesday about how he handled things with the Cavaliers icon and marketing manager Maverick Carter.
The ex-quarterback jumped on the “Club Shay Shay” show with Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe to discuss a wide range of issues, one of them being his short-lived time in Cleveland that did not go the way he or the Browns wanted.
Manziel admitted on the show that after signing with Carter, he treated both his manager and James poorly.
The former signal-caller, who only played eight NFL games and completed just 57 percent of his passes, went as far as to say Carter and James still are angry with him after dumping him as a client in January 2016.
“The thing that I realize now is the reason why they’re probably still pissed at me to this day: They don’t lose. They don’t bet on anything that’s not a sure thing,” Manziel said. “And what I did and the way I carried myself and the way that I was in my time during Cleveland was pure and blatant disrespect to them giving me everything that I could have ever needed to be successful.
“So something that still to this day, I think now that we’re talking about it, I haven’t completely truly got over yet how I let them down.”
Manziel previously revealed in a Netflix documentary on his life that he battled substance abuse issues and mental health problems during his time in Cleveland, contemplating taking his own life after the Browns released him in 2016.
Speaking with Sharpe, Manziel said his struggles with depression led him to shunting James to the side, even when the NBA legend tried to hang out with Manziel when they were both free.
Manziel said James would text him every week to watch some games and play poker with other friends, but because of his mental health in decline, he barely could get out of bed.
“I was so depressed for the first time in my life that even my biggest role model and inspiration in my life couldn’t get me out of bed to come and hang out with them,” he said. You know, when I went to the Cavs games, I went, I was in and I was out. I didn’t really grasp and latch on to him in a way that I should have. And he tries to take me under his wing, right? And I’m just kind of nudging it away because of where my mental [health] is and being just fully depressed and where I was in my life. Is that excuse?
“Absolutely not. Because at the end of the day, the respect that I should have for them, giving me everything should trump all else.”
Manziel regretted that he did not “give a f–k enough” about doing the right things for himself, James and Carter and said it “eats me alive.”
He also added that it bothers him how much he wasted some of the back end of Hall of Fame tackle Joe Thomas’ career in Cleveland.
And among other topics, Manziel also discussed sports talk host Skip Bayless, who couldn’t laud the quarterback enough during his Texas A&M days right before he was heading to Cleveland, going as far to say that Manziel was going to be bigger than LeBron.
Manziel said during his conversation with Sharpe that he used to watch ESPN’s “First Take” when Bayless was on the show and throwing around hyperbole.
“Skip, I love you bro. I hope you know it was always love, and I honestly feel like I let him down,” Manziel said.
Bayless, last summer, said he regretted not helping out Manziel as things crumbled in Cleveland and the Aggies product saw his mental health deteriorate.
“I know Johnny looked up to me,” Bayless said on his podcast, “The Skip Bayless Show.”
“I know Johnny appreciated the fact that I was mostly in his corner, up until the draft. And I just wish I’d known enough to sit down and actually have a heart to heart with Johnny. Maybe I could have helped.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
