Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel will miss their regular-season finale, while veteran QB Peyton Manning will suit up for the Denver Broncos in Week 17 of the 2015 NFL season.
Manziel will sit out their final regular-season game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday due to concussion, ESPN reported. With Manziel out, Austin Davis will start for the Browns, while Pat Devlin will serve as backup.
The concussion ended the rocky sophomore season for Manziel, who started in six games for the Browns. He tallied 1,675 passing yards with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. His performance on the field was overshadowed again by his behavior outside the playing field.
Manziel, who was the 22nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, entered rehab during the offseason. He showed positive signs early in the season, but the former Texas A&M standout was seen in a video partying during a bye week, which forced the Browns to demote him as third-string quarterback.
Following the incident, Manziel started three more games, but he surfaced in another video again. It remains to be seen whether or not Manziel will still be in Cleveland next season.
Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos will get a major boost heading into the playoffs, as Manning was cleared to return to action after recovering from a torn plantar fascia in his left heel.
However, Manning will be in an unfamiliar territory on Sunday, as he will serve as backup to Brock Osweiler. Browns coach Gary Kubiak revealed that Osweiler will remain as starter in their regular-season finale against the San Diego Charges on Sunday.
"Brock's our quarterback," Kubiak told reporters via ESPN. "Nothing has changed from that standpoint. Peyton's availability, that is a change for us this week. Let's keep going. Everybody knows, the team knows, Brock is our quarterback. He's doing a hell of job. Let's just keep moving forward."
Manning has not played as backup before, as he has started in 265 games that he played in since his rookie year with the Indianapolis Colts in 1998. The veteran quarterback accepted Kubiak's decision and said that he will do anything to help Osweiler to prepare for the all-important match against the Chargers.
The Broncos are currently on top of the AFC West standings with their 11-4 record. A win against the Chargers will help them clinch the AFC West Division title and secure the No. 2 seed for a bye week in the playoffs, but a loss could drop them down to sixth spot, which will make their road to the title more difficult.
