LeSean McCoy, Johnny Manziel add to NFL’s image problem

The NFL still has a problem.

The news cycles following the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 victory over the Panthers have been centered around professional football players. Just not the ones who hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.

Johnny Manziel, a talented college quarterback once ubiquitous enough to be known as “Johnny Football,” has continued to fall from grace. Accusations have returned about possible criminal charges for beating a former girlfriend, as has the Browns supposedly lying on an injury report to cover up Manziel’s drunkenness prior to their Week 17 game.

And LeSean”Shady” McCoy, the Eagles’ all-time leading rusher and one of the top running backs in the game could face serious criminal charges after his alleged involvement in a brawl with off-duty cops in a Philadelphia night club.

All of this amid continued talk of an increase in NFL concussions during the 2015 season (with players retiring early every season because of it).

The Super Bowl failed to eclipse a record number of viewers, and that is likely due to the small market teams and the boring game. But it could also be due to the exasperation of fans with the sport’s descent due to player misconduct.

Cable news channels like CNN and FoxNews contemplated the “anti-police” message Beyonce was spreading during her halftime performance as compromising the NFL’s wholesome entertainment message. But the NFL these days is anything but wholesome.

And future hall-of-famers are not immune either. Both Tom Brady (Deflate-gate) and Peyton Manning (HGH allegations) are also the centerpieces of off-field controversies.

With football remaining unquestioned as America’s favorite game, the best athletes in the country are choosing to pursue NFL dreams instead of another major sport. Stars like Manziel and McCoy are joining the likes of Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice, Greg Hardy and a bevy of others, and with parents scared of the ever increasing numbers of CTE-positive former players, the tipping point could be coming soon.

Which is good news for soccer and baseball. But not for America’s thirst for football.