Mike Pettine doesn't close door on Johnny Manziel being in Browns future

Tuesday seemed like the end of Johnny Manziel's chances with the Cleveland Browns.

After being named the starting quarterback for the rest of the season, and having discussions with the staff about what he needed to do on the bye week, video of Manziel partying was leaked. And Manziel was benched, all the way down to third string. It had to be tremendously frustrating for the Browns.

But if it appeared Manziel had reached the end of the line in Cleveland, Browns coach Mike Pettine insisted it was not. He was asked if Manziel had played his last game with the Browns.

"I certainly hope not," Pettine said in his Wednesday news conference. "He’s made great progress and there’s no better proof than last Sunday at Pittsburgh. But sometimes you have to take a step back to take a few forward.

"We told him yesterday, this is not a dead end. It’s a hurdle."

Manziel said to the media before the bye that he wouldn't be an embarrassment to the team and nobody would have to worry about him. He obviously told the staff some version of that too, because a few times Pettine said that Manziel was benched because of a breach in trust and accountability.

Manziel had a wasted rookie season. He went to rehab in the offseason. He played better this season, highlighted by a promising 372-yard game at the Steelers. Many NFL players party during their bye week, and some fans wondered how the Browns could punish Manziel for doing something that wasn't outside of the law, and something that other players likely did outside of TMZ's vision.

Pettine's answer was that the quarterback position is judged differently. And it was clear that the team wanted to see a certain dedication from Manziel, even in the bye week.

"The position of quarterback is always going to be held to a higher standard than any other position on the team, that’s the reality," Pettine said "It’s not just about talent, it’s not just about what you do on the field. To be successful at the position requires a great understanding of what’s involved in the non-physical aspects: the leadership, the trust, the accountability, the responsibility, the diligence. You have to take the mentality that nobody is going to outwork you. That has to be understood when you play the position at this level.

"When you have a great opportunity in front of you, it’s important you demonstrate you can handle the responsibility that comes with it. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of the trust and accountability piece. This is where we had an obvious shortcoming."

One reason the Browns are reluctant to cut the cord is they are invested in Manziel, and they started to see some progress on the field this season. It's tough to start over at quarterback in the NFL, especially when you invest a first-round pick in the position, as Cleveland did a year ago. Pettine said Manziel has "shown tremendous improvement, but he has to make better decisions." Pettine said the decision to demote Manziel was "absolutely necessary to maximize his chance for future success." And Pettine made it clear he still hopes for that future success for Manziel in Cleveland. It's on him to show progress off the field now.

"We’ll see. We’ll see," Pettine said. "We’ve talked about it often with him ... words vs. actions. This is a heavy dose of adversity, we’ll see how he handles it."

Pettine didn't rule out Manziel getting another shot this season, saying the NFL landscape is fluid. Nothing would be better for the Browns organization than for Manziel to react in a positive way to this punishment, get another shot and take over as the starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. Cleveland has been looking for an answer at quarterback since it came back into the NFL in 1999. At this moment, Pettine said he still believes Manziel can be that answer.

"There’s nobody who’s going to be more proud, when he turns the corner and he’s a success, I don’t think anybody will be more proud than I am," Pettine said. "Sometimes when you’re a parent, the concept of tough love is the best."