The 5 Most Important NFL QB Battles

Manziel Hoyer
Johnny Manziel
Andrew Weber USA TODAY Sports

1. Johnny Manziel vs. Brian Hoyer

No quarterback battle will garner more attention than the one occurring in Cleveland. In one corner, there’s the beloved veteran who went 3-0 in three starts last season and somehow stole the hearts of Browns fans. In the other, the much-hyped first-round pick, who in his back pocket carries all of the hope for the franchise in the future.

Coach Mike Pettine has expressed that the job is Hoyer’s to lose, but it’s not a lock that Manziel couldn’t take the job from him before Week 1. This is the most legitimate quarterback battle, and it wouldn’t surprise anybody to see Manziel start right off the bat. But he’ll need a very, very impressive camp and preseason to do so.

author avatar
Sam Spiegelman
Sam Spiegelman is a native New Yorker covering sports in New Orleans. He likes Game of Thrones way too much. Tweet him @samspiegs.