A day after his team’s 31-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine was unsure of Johnny Manziel's status for this week heading into Thursday's final preseason game against the Chicago Bears.
Manziel, who did not play in Saturday night's game and hasn't practiced in a week, is continuing to battle elbow and arm soreness.
On his Sunday conference call, Pettine said there are no plans currently to treat Manziel with anything other than rest.
"I'll get the medical update today, just see what their plan is for him, when to start throwing again,” Pettine said. “Given that the MRI was negative, we think rest will be the answer. To me, there's no need to think beyond that until we get to that point, and if it looks like it is more than that, then we'll address it appropriately."
In Manziel's absence Saturday night, Browns third-string quarterback Thaddeus Lewis played almost a quarter and a half. He completed 4 of 6 passes for 66 yards and added a seven-yard touchdown run to cap the Browns’ scoring over Tampa Bay.
Lewis likely will be the starter Thursday night in Chicago if Manziel can't go. Pettine announced that starting quarterback Josh McCown would sit out the team's final preseason contest.
In three preseason games, McCown was 29-of-38 for 207 yards with three TDs and two interceptions. He had a passer rating of 92.8.
The backup to Lewis in the Chicago game will be Pat Devlin, who signed with the Browns last Thursday when the club decided to shut down Manziel.
