Boomer Esiason, former NFL quarterback and CBS sports anchor, had some harsh words for Cleveland Browns rookie Johnny Manziel ahead of the team's season opener.
"I'm telling you right now, he is not even remotely close to being ready," Esiason
said on WFAN's "Boomer and Carton" show on Tuesday.
"If he opened as the starting quarterback in Pittsburgh in Week 1, he would get his ass kicked. And his ass would be driven into the ground. Because I'm telling you, other teams hate this guy. Hate him."
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Like many, Esaison was wound-up over Manzeil's antics during Monday's preseason game, where the Heisman Trophy winner flipped the bird to the Redskin's bench, setting off yet another firestorm about his lack of maturity.
Browns coach Mike Pettine had originally stated that he would decide by Tuesday on either Johnny Manziel or incumbent Brian Hoyer as the starting quarterback for the team's Sept. 7 season opener, but still hasn't disclosed his choice. Now, many predict that Manziel's immature gesture was enough to get him benched.
Asked at a Tuesday press conference what he thought of Esaison's assessment, he simply said, "I don’t have a reaction to that. That’s Boomer’s opinion. He has the right to that."
Manziel, whose offseason party antics have signaled to many that he's not quite ready for the big leagues, had it all spelled out for him on-air.
Recalling Manziel's draft night text to the Browns, which read "I want to wreck this league together," Esaison scoffed, saying, "Yeah, okay. You're gonna get wrecked, son."
He continued, noting that the other teams can't wait to get on the field with Manziel, and crush him.
"You know, the NFL is about as unforgiving a place as there is on God's green earth. It is a man's place. It is for people that have a very, very strong constitution. Whether or not you can handle it is going to be determined by your maturity level. And right now, this kid is a baby."
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