Manziel's father calls son 'druggie,' thinks jail would be best place for him

Paul Manziel, the father of troubled quarterback Johnny Manziel, says he hopes his son goes to jail amid his ongoing domestic violence case.

Johnny's lawyer accidentally texted The Associated Press on Friday, hinting that his client would be in severe trouble if he was required to take a urine test.

Manziel was released by the Cleveland Browns in March, largely due to several untenable off-field incidents.

"He's a druggie. It's not a secret that he's a druggie." Paul said to ESPN's Josina Anderson. "I don't know what to say other than my son is a druggie and he needs help. He just hasn't seeked it yet. Hopefully he doesn't die before he comes to his senses. That's about all you can say. I don't know what else to say. I hate to say it but I hope he goes to jail. I mean, that would be the best place for him. So we'll see."

Paul also said it's the last time he's going to speak about Johnny's off-field troubles.

"I'm done. I'm done talking about it," Paul said. "I'm doing my job, and I'm going to move on. If I have to bury him, I'll bury him. That's the fact. So if not, if he calls me and needs help, I'll go get him. Until then, he's on his own. I've done everything I can do. There is nothing (else) I can do as a father. Nothing. ... It is, what it is. He's a druggie and everybody needs to accept it."

Paul said his son escaped rehab and because of his earnings from his professional career, he can evade whomever he wants to.

"You have no idea and the system failed," Paul said. "I had him in rehab and he escaped and the doctors let him go and that is a whole other story. So, I mean I had him (in rehab) and the system failed. It didn't work. He has more money than me, so he can outrun me. Like I said there are two things that are going to happen: He's either going to die, or he's going to figure out that he needs help. It's one of the two. But we've done everything that we can do. Life goes on. You can't just chase somebody that's not willing to listen. The story is not going to change. It's the same."

This isn't the first time Paul spoke publicly about his son's substance abuse issues. The elder Manziel said that his son would die before his 24th birthday if he didn't seek help.

"I truly believe if they can't get him help, he won't live to see his 24th birthday," Paul said via The Dallas Morning News.