Johnny Manziel was joined by former Houston Texans quarterback A.J. McCarron on the "Glory Daze" Podcast last Thursday. He talked about his time playing in the NFL while also remembering his failed trade to the Cleveland Browns. He also addressed the team's dysfunction as an organization.
Manziel revealed the Browns' dysfunction, saying McCarron's case was just one of several such incidents.
"For all you peolpe out there that question that the Browns organization was all fine and dandy during these times, ... Look no further than this story here. This is one of a thousand," Manzel said (Timestamp - 1:10).
McCarron mentioned the awkward scenario that arose surrounding his trade to the Browns by the Bengals. He revealed that his agent had informed him about the possible trade, but the deal did not go through. He also opened up on the involvement of former Browns GM Sashi Brown and ex-Bengals coach Hue Jackson.
"It was just weird how they did things," McCarron said. "Hue Jackson ends up after 2015, he takes the job in Cleveland. And then you got Sashi that's not a football guy, that's an analytical baseball guy. He's running things and Hue Jackson wants to trade for me."
"I get a call at 3:30. Deadline's at four. My agent's like, 'I just want you to know, your're about the traded to Cleveland. I was like, 'Oh s**t let's go.' And he was like, 'I'll call you back shortly. ...' And I sat there for another 30 minutes. And then I get a call back at 4:03 from my agent who said, 'It didn't go through.' I'm like, 'What the f**k you mean?' He's like, 'I have no clue. I'll figure out the details but Hue Jackson's p***ed. We're trying to figure it out.'"
"And then to find out that Sashi didn't send the fax, and then they tried to appeal to the NFL, and tell them what happened. They turned the appeal down and then the next day I gotta go into Cincinnati's complex, and nobody there talks to me. ..."
Following this incident, A.J McCarron filed a labor grievance against the Bengals and requested to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2017 season.
He won the grievance appeal and signed a two-year contract worth $10 million with the Bills in March 2018. He was traded to the Raiders by the team in September 2018 after picking up an injury in the preseason.
A.J. McCarron shares his thoughts on college football players in the modern NIL era
On the same podcast, A.J. McCarron also talked about the changes that took place since the implementation of the modern NIL era and new transfer portal regulations.
The quarterback also mentioned how players are not afraid of being benched by their teams. He gave an anecdote from his collegiate career to support his claims.
"In this era of football, there is not a fear of the bench," McCarron said. "When you're getting paid, dude's aren't scared. Like hell, they're paying me, they're gonna play me. I'm not worried about the bench. Coach ain't gonna sit me no matter what I do. Hell I can go out and have six drops. Guess what? Starting lineup next week, I'm still gonna be there."
"I disclocated by damn shouler in the fourth start of my career. And I told Mike Williams, our tight end, I said, 'Dude I think I broke my collarbone.' ... And he stuck his hand in my shoulderpad and he's like, 'Oh s**t! We gotta tell somebody.' And I said, 'Shut the f**k up!' I said, 'We ain' telling anybody.' That was the fear of the bench though. ...I don't want an injury to put me out."
A.J. McCarron played five seasons with the Alabama Crimson Tide. He registered 9019 yards and 77 TDs passing and won three BCS national championships with them.