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‘I Was Like 163 Pounds’ — Johnny Manziel Opens Up About The Shocking Physical Toll Of His Downward Spiral - Gridiron Heroics

Grid Iron Heroics · Heena Singh · 2026-08-17T18:39:22+00:00 · nguồn gốc

Johnny Manziel has never been shy about speaking about the chaos that ensued after his NFL days; although there is one tale from this period that seems unbelievable. According to the former quarterback, after weighing in at 215 pounds when playing for the Cleveland Browns, he weighed himself in Las Vegas a few months later and found out that he was just 163 pounds. The most bizarre part was that Manziel claims he did not even know that his life or body had drastically changed while he was partying and spending his money like there was no tomorrow. Johnny Manziel Speaks Out About His Fall From Glory After Being Released by the Browns According to the report on August 17, Manziel revealed details about this period in an interview with Bertcast, where he spoke about what went wrong after being released by the Browns in 2016. At this time, Manziel claimed everything was going well in his life because everyone in Vegas seemed to agree that he was having the best times of his life. “I left Cleveland 215 pounds, pretty rock solid. And I went to Vegas that September, October, after being cut that January. And everything in my mind, everything around me, is telling me life is good and you’re great, just keep going with the flow, keep spending, keep partying. And I stepped on that scale, man. I was like 163 pounds. That was like a 50, 60-pound difference. And I didn’t even feel it. Didn’t even notice it. Didn’t even notice that I was buying, I went from XL everything to a 34 waist and every single freaking thing. And when I got back home after that year, and I went to my closet, I was like: what the f*ck is going on.” Johnny Manziel says he left Cleveland at 215 pounds and eight months later a scale in Vegas said 163 while everything around him was still telling him life was good "I left Cleveland 215 pounds, pretty rock solid. And I went to Vegas that September, October, after being cut that… pic.twitter.com/Js0dx4rewZ — katsu (@katsuxbt) August 17, 2026 The change was so gradual that Manziel apparently did not recognize it until he started looking at his clothes. He remembered going from wearing XL shirts and a 34-inch waist to needing completely different sizes without really noticing the transition. That realization hit him when he returned home and looked through his closet. That was when the former Heisman Trophy winner finally understood just how far things had gone. Manziel’s NFL story had already unraveled by then. The Browns selected him in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft after his explosive career at Texas A&M, hoping “Johnny Football” could become the franchise QB they had been searching for. At 33, Manziel continues to find ways to keep himself in the limelight. His latest endeavor was to make his mixed martial arts debut in Las Vegas, defeating social media influencer Bob Menery via first-round stoppage. Following that bout, Manziel noted that he most likely will not be fighting again. However, the weight-loss story offers another glimpse into the period when his life was moving in a direction he could barely recognize. The most striking part was not simply losing nearly 50 pounds, but that Manziel says he did not even notice it happening. Related reading: Jerry Jones, Cowboys Join Race for Veteran Cornerback With Ties to Defensive Coordinator Fantasy Football: Why Expert Is Cautious of 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey “He’s Not the Same”: Shannon Sharpe Drops Brutal Reality Check on Aging Travis Kelce