Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel will be sidelined for the regular-season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a concussion, head coach Mike Pettine announced today.
Manziel is currently in the NFL concussion protocol and Pettine does not think he will be able to suit up on Sunday. Austin Davis will start in Manziels place and Celveland also added Pat Devlin for depth.
Manziel rushed for 108 yards last week against the Kansas City Chiefs but took a handful of big hits. On the first play of the second half, Manziel scampered for 34 yards in addition to a number of other big runs. Overall, he rushed 11 times throughout the game.
Pettine noted "there were a bunch" of hard hits Manziel took, including a legal helmet-to-helmet blow by linebacked Josh Mauga in the second quarter. Defensive end Allen Bailey also landed on Manziel after a run in the fourth quarter.
Manziel was examined by the team's medical staff during the game but returned to the field. He had complained of head and neck pain earlier this week.
Though Manziel has been surrounded by drama yet again this season, he has made strides on the field. In nine games this year he is completing 57.8 percent of his passes and has thrown for 1,500 yards with seven touchdowns and five picks. He has also rushed for 230 yards.
