Former Cleveland Browns QB wants Sam Darnold’s Super Bowl 60 success to be awakening for NFL critics

Johnny Manziel says Sam Darnold deserves top 10 respect

In a post shared via Glory Daze podcast, Manziel said, “You have to see Sam Darnold as a top 10 quarterback. I think you have to look at guys like Baker [Mayfield] and Sam and these people who have overcome so much adversity to be the quarterback and be in the situation that they deserve to be in.”

He added: “They’ve dealt with so much and dealt with people like you out here that listen to the podcast that s___ on ’em because they didn’t succeed the first time.”

Darnold’s path to Super Bowl 60 success followed years of instability, coaching turnover, and franchise transitions. Like Mayfield, he faced intense scrutiny after early setbacks, leading many to question whether he would ever fulfil his draft-day promise.

Manziel framed Darnold’s resurgence as proof that context, patience and opportunity can reshape a quarterback’s trajectory.

Johnny Manziel blasts critics of NFL quarterbacks

Manziel further added: “Hey, f___ you! You go play the quarterback position in the NFL and get chased by Aaron Donald and these guys!

“How hard is it to read coverage pre-snap and see these guys tilt and roll and bring a blitz to knock your f______ head off.”

The former Browns quarterback’s remarks highlighted the physical and mental toll of the position. From deciphering disguised coverages to absorbing pressure from elite defensive linemen, Manziel emphasised the complexity often overlooked by critics.

Darnold’s Super Bowl 60 campaign has shifted perception around his career arc. For Manziel, the turnaround should serve as a broader lesson about resilience and the dangers of prematurely writing off young quarterbacks.

Whether critics adjust their evaluations remains to be seen, but Manziel’s message was clear: redemption in the NFL is possible, and it demands respect.