Report: Saints' Payton discussed return to football with Manziel
New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton may be intent on pulling off the seemingly impossible.
Payton and former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel went to breakfast during Super Bowl week, where they discussed a possible return to football for the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Manziel was released by the Browns in March 2016 after a series of on- and off-field incidents that clouded his two-year tenure with the team. The quarterback entered rehab for an undisclosed issue in February 2015, and was pulled over by police in October 2015 after a dispute with his then-girlfriend.
Manziel also accelerated his own demise with the Browns when he was spotted at a casino prior to the final game of the 2015 season, despite being listed as "out" with a concussion on the injury report. Subsequently, Manziel's marketing agency and agent, Erik Burkhardt, both cut ties with him.
In February 2016, Manziel was investigated over a domestic violence claim made by his ex-girlfriend. Drew Rosenhaus, Manziel's second agent, fired him, while Nike dropped him as a client. Manziel was later indicted on misdemeanor assault charges in April.
He was also suspended for the first four games of the 2016 NFL season for a violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy, a ruling rendered moot as Manziel went unsigned.
FA QB Johnny Manziel has kept a low-profile as he trains for a return. #Saints coach Sean Payton appears to have taken an interest in him.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 23, 2017
Recently, Manziel has been trying to make amends for his reckless lifestyle. He re-signed with Burkhardt and became engaged to his girlfriend, Bre Tiesi.
It's possible that Payton views Manziel as a developmental project, capable of eventually taking over when Drew Brees retires.