Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel has made a strong impression with his work ethic since training camp began but he suffered his first slip Monday when he was a few minutes late for a team meeting, according to team sources.
Manziel's tardiness was not a factor in coach Mike Pettine's decision to start Brian Hoyer in Monday night's preseason game against the Washington Redskins, the sources insisted.
Manziel and another "couple rookies" who went unidentified apparently misread a schedule that had the Browns conducting a brief five-minute meeting to start the week, sources said.
Pettine handled the matter "internally" with the players but did not overdramatize the issue, sources said.
Manziel had been in the team's facility Sunday on an off day "for about four hours," getting treatment and reviewing game film from the night before in Detroit, where he made his NFL debut in Cleveland's opening preseason game.
He also made "bed-check" on Sunday night, sources said.
A high-ranking team source said it would be "very unfair and inaccurate" to draw parallels between Manziel's tardiness and his reputation for enjoying late nights away from the team facility.