Report: Johnny Manziel’s family fears for his safety

Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel has reached a point in his life where his family now fears for his safety.

The family of Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel has tried to convince the troubled quarterback to return to rehab and fears for his safety, according to a story in The Dallas Morning News.

Manziel’s father, Paul, told the newspaper that Manziel has twice this week refused his family’s request to go back to rehab:

"The family first tried Saturday afternoon to get Manziel, 23, to agree to go to the Enterhealth Ranch addiction facility in Van Alstyne, but he would not stay. That attempt came the day after Manziel’s former girlfriend alleged in a police report that he hit her repeatedly at a Dallas hotel and while driving her home to Fort Worth on Jan. 29. Manziel has not been charged in the incident, but a Fort Worth Police helicopter searched the area for him."

"Paul Manziel said that he tried to have his son admitted Tuesday to Carrollton Springs Hospital, but that Johnny was allowed to leave. Paul Manziel said that he is upset that his son was allowed to walk away after Paul told a Denton County Sherriff officer that he believed Johnny to be suicidal. Carrollton Springs is a 45-bed psychiatric and chemical dependency hospital in Carrollton, providing inpatient and outpatient treatment to adults suffering from mental illness and/or addiction, according to its website."

“I truly believe if they can’t get him help, he won’t live to see his 24th birthday,” Paul Manziel told The Dallas Morning News.

The news continued to trend toward the bleak on Friday for Manziel as his agent has dropped the troubled quarterback as a client.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the news, posting the following statement from agent Erik Burkhardt on Twitter:

"“It is with deep regret that, after several emotional and very personal discussions with his family, his doctors, and my client himself, I have made the decision to terminate my professional relationship with Johnny Manziel."

"“Though I will remain a friend and Johnny supporter, and he knows I have worked tirelessly to arrange a number of professional options for him to continue to pursue, it has become painfully obvious that his future rests solely in his own hands. His family and I have gone to great lengths to outline the steps we feel he must take to get his life in order."

"“Accountability is the foundation of any relationship, and without it the function of my work is counterproductive. I truly wish the best for Johnny and sincerely hope he can, and will, find the kind of peace and happiness he deserves.”"

Burkhardt becomes just the latest in a growing list of people who are distancing themselves from Manziel.

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In January, LeBron James’ marketing agency, LRMR Management, dropped Manziel as a client. This week Cleveland Browns executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown issued the strongest statement to date that the Browns are done with Manziel, and head coach Hue Jackson made it clear that he wants no part of Manziel when asked about him at a charity event.

Burkhardt’s decision to sever ties with Manziel comes on the heels of the latest in a never-ending string of off-the-field issues with Manziel, this time a domestic dispute with his former girlfriend. While police ultimately decided not to press charges, it is clear that those closest to Manziel realize there is a problem.

Things have seemingly reached the point where Manziel’s future as an NFL player needs to take a backseat to Manziel getting help to ensure that he doesn’t reach a point of no return personally.

As Burkhardt points out in his statement, whether or not that happens is completely up to Manziel at this point.