Johnny Football will start Sunday. That was the word from Cleveland Browns camp on Tuesday as multiple sources reported that Coach Mike Pettine will pull struggling starter Brian Hoyer and insert the much-ballyhooed former Heisman Trophy winner into the quarterback spot.

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NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport said Pettine met Monday with Hoyer and Manziel before deciding to make the big move. The Browns are 7-6 and trying to make a late-season playoff push. Hoyer started great, but his performance has declined into abysmal in the last few weeks, prompting the move, sources said.

Pettine came under fire last week when he stuck with Hoyer despite the starter being among the worst ranking quarterbacks over the last month in terms of performance. Many say Pettine was left with but one choice, give Manziel, the Texas A&M star who went 22nd in the 2014 player draft, a chance to start.

The change, as with most non-injury quarterback changes, sparked considerable debate within the team and throughout the NFL.

All Pro left tackle Joe Thomas said he felt like this signaled the team giving up on the season, the implication being Manziel had a lot yet to learn before taking it to the next level.

Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, however, just couldn't afford to go into the last three games with a barely functioning Hoyer at quarterback. Hoyer had missed on more than half his passes with one touchdown and eight interceptions over the last four games. Something had to give.

While Manziel continued to raise eyebrows off the field with several highly publicized incidents, though he had explanations for all of it. Meanwhile, on the field, Manziel sparked the Browns when he came in relief of Hoyer against the Buffalo Bills. His arm strength and speed far surpasses Hoyer's physical skills. And, well, the Browns need to do something fast to try to save the season.

TagsNFL, johnny manziel, Football, Brian Hoyer, Mike Pettine, cleveland browns, Johnny Football