Johnny Manziel, dropped by agent, 'hoping to take care of issues'
Johnny Manziel said he is prepared to do what is necessary as he eyes a potential return to the NFL this season, even after a whirlwind week that culminated in the embattled quarterback being dropped by his second agent in two months.
"I'm hoping to take care of the issues in front of me right now, so I can focus on what I have to do if I want to play in 2016," Manziel said in a statement provided to ESPN.com and other media. "I also continue to be thankful to those who really know me and support me."
The statement comes on the heels of agent Drew Rosenhaus' officially terminating his representation of Manziel,a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
"So many people only have one image of Jonathan, but believe it or not, he takes all this very seriously," Manziel's spokesperson Denise Michels told ESPN.com. "He's hoping that he can clear up his personal issues, start interviewing agents and see what he needs to do if he wants to play this year."
Manziel's statement did not detail what measures he would take to address said issues.
Rosenhaus announced Wednesday that he had informed Manziel of his decision to terminate their relationship, but he would reverse the decision if the formerCleveland Brownsquarterback entered a treatment facility within five days.
Rosenhaus told Schefter last week that he decided to sever ties with Manziel "in the hopes of helping him get the treatment I believe he needs."
"I have informed him that if he takes the immediate steps I have outlined for him, that I will rescind the termination and continue to represent him," Rosenhaus said Wednesday. "Otherwise, the termination will become permanent. There is a five-day window for me to rescind the termination. I'm hoping he takes the necessary steps to get his life back on track."
Rosenhaus had never fired a player in his 27 years as an NFL agent, according to ESPN's Ed Werder.
Manziel's previous agent, Erik Burkhardt, announced in February that he had ended his representation of the former Heisman Trophy winner. "Accountability is the foundation of any relationship, and without it, the function of my work is counterproductive," he said.
Manziel lost his biggest marketing deal, as Nike spokesman Brian Strong told ESPN's Darren Rovell on Tuesday that the quarterback is no longer an endorser of the brand. Sources told Rovell that the shoe and apparel giant terminated the deal some time after the 2015 season ended.
The Browns selected Manziel 22nd overall in the 2014 draft. He was their second of two first-round picks that year. His two seasons in Cleveland were marred by off-the-field struggles and limited on-the-field success, and he was waived March 11.
Manziel spent 10 weeks in rehab after his rookie season and is the subject of a grand jury investigation in Dallas into whether he assaulted his former girlfriend. The NFL is investigating whether Manziel violated its personal conduct policy in that incident. Dallas prosecutors will present the Manziel case to a grand jury on Thursday, and an indictment could be announced as early as Monday.
Information from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Darren Rovell and The Associated Press was used in this report.
