Though many have applauded the second episode of the third installment of Netflix’s docuseries “Untold,” which is focused on Johnny Manziel, Ryan Leaf isn’t one of them.
Leaf, who was drafted No. 2 overall in the 1998 NFL Draft, is someone who understands the struggles Manziel went through on and off the field during his football career.
Both Manziel and Leaf had high expectations placed on them after successful college careers and struggled with substance abuse after things didn’t pan out.
Ryan Leaf Getty ImagesLeaf has had a strong opinion about the way Manziel’s life was examined in the documentary and how it “stigmatized” struggles with mental health and substances.
“Why when sports are involved everyone seems to put blinders on,” Leaf wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “In an attempt to entertain [Netflix] set the conversation back. It stigmatized MH, suicide, & substance use disorder. Offered zero solutions and took advantage of someone with an untreated disease.”
The former NFL QB was responding to a post on X by ESPN’s Marcus Spears, who was giving his praise to the episode.
Leaf has been speaking out about what he felt was the unfair way Manziel had been used in the documentary and had recently told “Hot Mic with Hutton and Withrow” that Netflix was telling the wrong story about Manziel.
That remained the theme during his comments on X.
Marcus Spears Getty Images
Johnny Manziel Getty Images“Phenomenal is the last word I’d describe it as,” Leaf continued to react to Spears’ post about the show. “The Manziel doc did not educate. It made a mockery of mental health, suicide, substance use disorder, & a cartoon of the Johnny Football character & offered no healing solutions.”
Among the issues Leaf had with the doc was, he contended, that it failed to provide any follow-ups to statements about a Bipolar diagnosis or Manziel opening up about his suicide attempt.
Leaf did later write that “I may be too close to it” but he was “disappointed.”
“Stigma halts the conversation around MH, suicide, and substance use disorder,” he said. “When we applaud something that stigmatizes we perpetuate it,” he said.
