Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis has apologised for a second time after he labelled Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel a midget.
On Monday night, the NFL coach had said sorry to Manziel - who is 1.83 metres tall - and he went a step further on Tuesday.
"I'm aware that my comment on local radio last night was offensive to people of short stature and to their families and friends," Lewis said in a new statement released by the Bengals, who face the Browns in an all-Ohio NFL clash on Sunday.
"It was thoughtless on my part to use the word I did, and not excusable, and I greatly regret it."
Lewis said he'd done some reading on the website of Little People of America, a non-profit organisation that provides support and information to people of short stature and their families, and realised his choice of words was insensitive.
The midget remark came in a phone call to a Cincinnati radio show, after news broke that the Bengals would be facing Manziel, the much-hyped US collegiate star nicknamed "Johnny Football", in his first NFL start.
With a 7-6 record, the Browns are trying to stay alive in the playoff race. They're last in an AFC North division headed by the 8-4 Bengals.
Manziel saw his first significant action in a relief role a fortnight ago in a loss to Buffalo, guiding the Browns to a touchdown in that 26-10 setback.
Coach Mike Pettine nevertheless stuck with Hoyer on Sunday, but after Hoyer struggled against Indianapolis, Pettine opted to look at Manziel.
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