BEREA, Ohio -- Johnny Manziel's decisions off the field this season have cost him the chance to establish himself on the field.
Coach Mike Pettine announced Tuesday that Manziel had not only lost the starting quarterback job, but he also would be the third quarterback, behind both Josh McCown and Austin Davis, for Monday night’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Clearly, the team's level of frustration and disappointment -- to use Pettine’s words -- over Manziel’s off-field actions has hit the breaking point.
One week ago, Manziel was named the starter for the rest of the season. He was coming off a 372-yard passing performance in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a game in which he played well and earned further opportunities.
At the time, Pettine made sure to tell Manziel he had a responsibility to act properly during the bye week. Manziel publicly promised he would do nothing to embarrass the team or the organization.
Then a video appeared online of Manziel holding what appeared to be a pink champagne bottle singing "March Madness" by Future with a DJ at an Austin, Texas, club. The exact date the video was filmed is not known.
The Browns were not at all pleased. Manziel’s recent actions have eroded the trust the team has in him.
The team supported him during his 10-week stay in treatment in the offseason and stood by him after he returned. But on Oct. 12, he had an incident with his girlfriend while driving in suburban Avon, Ohio. He told police he had been drinking downtown. He was not charged, and the league did not discipline him, but there were concerns over what happened.
In the weekend following a Thursday night game in Cincinnati, Manziel appeared in social media photos at parties at Texas A&M.
Then came the video and photos on bustedcoverage.com and TMZ.com showing Manziel singing to the camera in Austin.
When Pettine spoke about Manziel on Tuesday, he did so with words that made the eventual decision clear. He said he is particularly concerned by the fact that there have been multiple incidents.
“That’s all a part of the frustration, the disappointment,” he said. “It’s a little easier to handle when it’s just a one-time occurrence, but then the behavior repeats -- not just him but with anybody -- it’s certainly a cause for concern.”
The Browns' statement said the decision was Pettine’s, and it came with the support of general manager Ray Farmer and owner Jimmy Haslam. The decision was based on the fact that the team did not feel Manziel lived up to the responsibility given him as the starter and his actions did not support the team as a whole.
“We always say to whom much is given, much is expected,” Pettine said.