Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel has a future in the NFL, Denver Broncos linebacker and Super Bowl MVP Von Miller said Tuesday, pointing to himself as an example of a player who rebounded from personal troubles to find success.
"I don't think that Johnny Football's days are over in the National Football League. If you write him off, you're wrong," Miller said on ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike. "They wrote me off two years ago and look at me, where I'm at today."
Miller and Manziel both went to Texas A&M. In 2013, Miller went what through what he has described as "a bad period" when he was suspended for six games for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.
Manziel is the subject of a criminal investigation into an alleged assault of his ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley in Dallas. Last week, Manziel's father told the Dallas Morning News that he feared for his son's well-being.
"His situation is totally different," Miller said of Manziel, "but I've had tough times in the NFL and I can relate to what he's going through."
"I just want him to know I'm supporting him no matter what," Miller said. "I'm not here to tell him, you know, 'You should be doing this' or 'You should be doing that.'
"I think he knows what he's supposed to be doing. He's just had a bad patch."
Miller said he spoke to Manziel prior to the AFC Championship Game Jan. 24, but that the Broncos' appearance in the Super Bowl has dominated his time since. Miller did, however, send Manziel a post-Super Bowl Instagram message Sunday night.
"We've got a special relationship," Miller said, "and I'm right here 24/7 for him."