Skip Bayless Regrets Not Stepping In After Johnny Manziel's 'Quiet Cry For Help'

It's not often Skip Bayless expresses regret about anything — from his hot takes to his wild predictions and his sometimes puzzling analysis.

But when it comes to Johnny Manziel, the Fox Sports host wishes he had stepped in to help.

"I know Johnny looked up to me," Bayless said Thursday.

On the latest episode of The Skip Bayless Show podcast, the longtime sports commentator discussed Netflix's new bombshell documentary, Untold: Johnny Football. The doc dives in to Manziel's fall from grace, his struggles with alcoholism and depression and his intention to commit suicide.

(Photo by Christopher Capozziello/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

And now that he knows the extent of Manziel's dark times, Bayless believes he could have been a positive influence on the young quarterback.

"I know Johnny appreciated the fact that I was mostly in his corner, up until the Draft. And I just wish I'd known enough to sit down and actually have a heart to heart with Johnny. Maybe I could have helped," he said.

"I'm pretty good at that if I know help is wanted and or needed. But I didn't see it. I didn't listen to my instincts."

In fact, Bayless said the signs were there all along.

Skip Bayless Reflects on Previous Interactions with Johnny Manziel

On the podcast, Bayless recalled a 2018 encounter with Manziel during an appearance on Cold As Balls with Kevin Hart. That's when he noticed the former Heisman winner looked unwell.

"He didn't look very good," Bayless said. "He looked a little pale. A little weak. A little worn. And I was shocked."

Bayless said he made small talk with Johnny Football that day, but that was about it.

"He was on his best behavior. He was talking to the adults," Bayless recalled. "But as I look back on that moment, I look at it as a quiet cry for help, and I wish I'd been listening. But I wasn't. When I went down to tape my episode with Kevin, Johnny stayed."

(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Manziel catapulted to fame at Texas A&M when he became the first freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy in 2012. The Cleveland Browns drafted him in the first round in 2014. But his short-lived and unsuccessful NFL career spiraled into a life of partying and self destruction.

So while we'll never know for certain whether Bayless could have altered the trajectory for Manziel, one thing is certain: He's always been a fan.

After the 2014 NFL Draft, Bayless boldly claimed, "Johnny Football will one day be bigger in Cleveland than his buddy LeBron ever was."

Things just didn't quite work out like that.