Cleveland Browns

Browns deny lying about Manziel concussion, QB showing up drunk

Published Feb. 9, 2016 12:34 p.m. ET

foxsports

UPDATE (2:15 p.m. ET): The Cleveland Browns released a statement regarding the events surrounding Johnny Manziel on Dec. 30.

#Browns' statement on Manziel concussion report: pic.twitter.com/ENhMeaovJn
— Nate Ulrich (@NateUlrichABJ) February 9, 2016

Shortly after the team's statement was made public, Silver sent out a series of tweets to clarify his comments on Manziel from that day.

Silver stated that he stands by his original report that Manziel was "noticeably drunk on Wednesday, Dec. 30," but didn't rule out the possibility that the troubled quarterback had concussion symptoms at that time.

The saga of Johnny Manziel's off-field behavior continues to get more troubling by the day.

Just days after the news that the Cleveland Browns quarterback is being investigated by Dallas police for an alleged domestic violence incident with his ex-girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, a stunning accusation has come to light.

According to Mike Silver of NFL Network, Manziel showed up drunk to a late-season Wednesday practice.

"I was with a Browns player yesterday," Silver said on NFL Network Tuesday afternoon. "Johnny Manziel, going into what would have been a start late in the season, showed up drunk at practice on a Wednesday.

"The Browns lied and said he was in the concussion protocol. Let me repeat that: The Browns lied to try and to protect, and I would argue enable, this irresponsible and very troubled young man."

Silver went on to reference the "infamous Vegas incident," during which Manziel reportedly was spotted incognito at a Las Vegas casino, one day before the team's Week 17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Following the loss to the Steelers, then-coach Mike Pettine, who was fired hours after the game, was asked if Manziel had been sent home earlier in the week because he was inebriated.

"No. No. No, that is not the case," Pettine said.

There had been suspicions about Manziel's injury during the season's final week after Pettine first announced that the 23-year-old arrived at the team's complex on Dec. 30 complaining of "concussion-like symptoms."

Pettine did not specify what was bothering Manziel and only offered that "he took a pretty good shot in the game."

Manziel had absorbed at least two hard hits during Cleveland's Dec. 27 loss at Kansas City. He was later fined for missing his medical treatment and new director of football operations Sashi Brown said on Jan. 21 that Manziel had returned following the season for other scheduled assessments and was cleared.

The Browns intend to release Manziel next month when the league begins its new calendar year. Cleveland selected him in the first round in 2014, but the Heisman Trophy winner never lived up to expectations and now finds himself entwined in legal problems as his future in football grows cloudy.

Members of Cleveland's front office, and owner Jimmy Haslam, claim to have been unsuccessful in their attempts to contact Manziel since reports of last weekend's domestic incident occurred.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.