The NFL fined Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel $12,000 for a derogatory gesture he directed toward the Washington sideline during a preseason game Monday night, ESPN.com reported Thursday.

Browns coach Mike Pettine later named Brian Hoyer the team's starting QB.

"[Hoyer] was the clear leader from the beginning," Browns head coach Mike Pettine said in a statement. "We've maintained all along that if it was close, I would prefer to go with the more experienced player.

"Brian has done a great job in the meeting rooms and with his teammates on the practice field and in the locker room."

Manziel made a gesture with his middle finger after throwing an incomplete pass in the third quarter of the game, which the Browns lost 24-23. He struggled throughout the contest and responded after being taunted by Washington players.

"I felt like I did a good job of holding my composure throughout the night, and you have a lapse of judgment and slip up," Manziel said.