The Cleveland Browns will move on from Johnny Manziel just two seasons after they drafted him in the first round.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday the team will cut Manziel when the new league year begins March 9.
Per league rules, the Browns can't cut Manziel until next week at the earliest. Rapoport reported the Browns have $20 million in salary-cap space for 2015, which carried over to 2016. Manziel, however, has guarantees in his contract, and the Browns need space to absorb the cap hit in 2015. Currently, they have no space, which is why they will wait for the league year to start.
Browns executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown released a statement Tuesday regarding Manziel's most recent off-field incident.
"We've been clear about expectations for our players on and off the field," Brown said. "Johnny's continual involvement in incidents that run counter to those expectations undermines the hard work of his teammates and the reputation of our organization. His status with our team will be addressed when permitted by league rules. We will have no further comment at this time."
Rapoport previously reported that when new coach Hue Jackson took over the team, Manziel's fate was sealed.
Brown's statement makes that eventuality clearer.
Manziel is being investigated for an alleged incident with a 23-year-old female, police in Fort Worth, Texas, said in a statement Saturday. The alleged incident occurred late Friday evening at an apartment complex in Fort Worth.
According to the statement, officers responded to a report of a possible assault and made contact with the woman, who was unrelated to the caller. The complainant stated she was involved in a disturbance with Manziel, her ex-boyfriend, earlier in the evening in Dallas. The officers were unable to locate a crime scene within the Fort Worth jurisdiction.
After the complainant told officers she was concerned for Manziel's personal well-being, they attempted to locate him by calling his cell phone, and by checking locations in the area. They also deployed a helicopter to search for Manziel. Following the search, it was determined Manziel was safe and in no danger.
The Fort Worth Police Department continues to work with the Dallas Police Department to determine if a criminal offense occurred.
"We are aware and looking into it," an NFL spokesman said Saturday. NFL security plans to contact Manziel's ex-girlfriend and her family as part of their investigation into the incident, Rapoport reported.
This marks the latest of several incidents involving Manziel as a member of the Browns. The team announced last month that it had fined the second-year quarterback for missing a scheduled medical treatment on the final Sunday of the season.
Manziel was also benched ahead of a Week 12 matchup with the Ravens after a video surfaced of the quarterback partying at a club in Austin, Texas. A week prior to that, Manziel was cleared of wrongdoing in a roadside incident involving his girlfriend. During the 2015 offseason, he spent 10 weeks in a rehab facility specializing in alcohol and substance abuse.
