Former Cleveland Browns Quarterback Johnny Manziel was released from The CFL’s Montreal Alouettes and also barred from signing with any other
Canadian Football League Team. This past Wednesday, the team announced his release less than a year after the former college star signed his deal with the league.
The Alouettes said that Manziel was released based on the direction of The Canadian Football League after he apparently broke an agreement he had with the league that allowed him to play. The league also effectively banned Manziel from playing in The CFL after telling teams that officials would not approve any contract given to The Quarterback.
The details of what caused the release have not yet been announced, but Manziel posted on social media that he looks forward to exploring new options and he also thanked his Coach, his teammates and The CFL fans, as seen below:
I want to thank Coach Sherman, my teammates, and the CFL fans. My time there reestablished my love for the game of football and the work that goes into it. I look forward to exploring new options within the United States.— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) February 27, 2019
What Did Manziel Do?
According to a source, Manziel violated a set of conditions
“We are disappointed by this turn of events,” Alouettes General Manager Kavis Reed said in a statement released by the team. “Johnny was provided a great deal of support by our organization, in collaboration with The CFL, but he has been unable to abide by the terms of his agreement. We worked with the league and presented alternatives to Johnny, who was unwilling to proceed.”
Former Texas A&M standout
Manziel is a former Texas A&M standout who broke various records during his time in college football. After his college career, he was drafted by The Cleveland Browns where he spent two seasons in a short-lived stint in tTe NFL from 2014 to 2015.
During his time in The NFL, Manziel, who recently said that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, was hit with a domestic assault charge in 2016. It was dismissed after he took an anger management course and participated in The NFL’s substance abuse program.
In early 2018, after months of proving himself to The CFL, Manziel was offered a contract by The Hamilton Tiger-Cats. However, he spent the first month of the season on the bench before he was traded to The Alouettes in a trade deal that included two first-round draft picks.
Stats With The Alouettes Of The CFL
During his time playing for The Alouettes, Manziel, 26, tried to resurrect his career. In eight games, he completed 106 passes in 165 attempts for 1,290 yards, with five touchdowns and seven interceptions. To get Manziel the Montreal Alouettes traded two first-round picks and two
players to Hamilton last July for his rights. The Alouettes still have five Quarterbacks under contract: Antonio Pipkin, Jeff Mathews, Vernon Adams Jr., Matthew Shiltz & Hugo Richard.
Manziel, as he says in his statement above, will likely be pursuing a future in The Alliance Of American Football or The XFL. The Quarterback has spoken highly of those leagues in the past.
“It’s great for football, it’s great for the guys who need more opportunity, need more film and time to play. I don’t know exactly what my exact steps will be for the next years coming up, but at least there’s a lot of options,” Manziel said on Barstool Sports Comeback SZN Podcast.
“Me and E.B. [Agent Erik Burkhardt] are fully committed to playing ball and trying to get into the best situation possible and that’s what it’s all about.”
The AAF debuted earlier this year, while The XFL will start in 2020. It will be interesting to see what the future lies for Manziel and in which league he will be signing in. You can check out the announcement of the release of Johnny Manziel in the video below:
Unleash the Action: Sign up for XFL Insider and Fuel Your Passion for Football!
