"That place added to my depression": Johnny Manziel unloads on Cleveland Browns stint in brutally honest career confession

More than a decade removed from his electric college rise, Johnny Manziel continues to unpack the unraveling of his NFL career. Cleveland is often at the center of that story.

The former quarterback talked candidly about how his time with the Browns catalyzed his wider mental health issues.

"F**k, man, I hated Cleveland so much, and I know that's going to be tough to hear," Manziel said on Tuesday, via Logan Paul's "Impaulsive" podcast.That place aided to my depression for sure."

Manziel’s football arc began as one of the most compelling in recent history. After winning the Heisman Trophy in 2012 as a freshman at Texas A&M, he was drafted at No. 22 by Cleveland in 2014.

However, the promise quickly faded. In two seasons, he logged a 2-6 starting record, with 1,675 passing yards and an even split of seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Off the field, his struggles with substance abuse, a bipolar disorder diagnosis and lack of professional discipline led to his release in 2016.

Johnny Manziel considered an NFL comeback but rejected alternative leagues

NCAA Football: Texas at Texas A&M - Source: Imagn

Johnny Manziel revealed that as recently as last year, he toyed with the notion of making a professional return. Encouraged by a glimmer of self-confidence, he resumed light training and started throwing. However, the enthusiasm fizzled once the reality of where those comeback paths might lead came into focus.

"I remember calling my agent, being like, 'I think I'm gonna try and make a comeback,'" Manziel said on Tuesday, via the "Impaulsive" podcast. "He's like, 'OK, we'll start talking with some guys, UFL, XFL.' And I'm just sitting there thinking like, 'There's no way I'm going back to f***ing play in one of these early leagues.'"

During his tenure in Cleveland, Manziel went through a personal low time that went beyond the football field.

"And I would look out those windows every day, and I just felt empty," Manziel said in Netflix's "Untold" docuseries. "I went from one fishbowl city to another, and I wanted nothing to do with football. I wanted nothing to do with stepping on that field. And I had bigger issues in my life than being able to go out and play free-spirited, flowing football."

Manziel also discussed how the current NCAA landscape might have significantly altered his journey, according to NBC Sports. Under today’s NIL rules, he believes staying at Texas A&M could have been far more lucrative and less emotionally taxing than turning pro.