Johnny Football looms on Tiger-Cats sideline

It has taken five years, but Jeremiah Masoli is finally a starting CFL quarterback.

The 29-year-old secured the No. 1 spot with the Hamilton TigerCats after leading the team to a 6-4 record last season under then interim head coach June Jones. The Tiger-Cats made Jones their fulltime head coach this offseason and then signed Masoli to a two-year extension as their starter.

But the question remains for how long?

Hamilton opens the 2018 season with road games against Edmonton Eskimos and Calgary Stampeders, two teams expected to contend for tops in the West Division. Then the Ticats return home to host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on June 29 before facing the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a homeand-home series.

Hamilton’s first game against an East Division opponent isn’t until July 28 when it hosts the Ottawa Redblacks.

However, facing five straight West opponents isn’t the only issue Masoli must deal with early this year. Johnny Manziel, the former Heisman Trophy winner, will be on Hamilton’s sideline this season.

Johnny Football signed with Hamilton on the eve of training camp. His arrival made headlines across North America and throughout camp a number of American outlets made the trek to Ron Joyce Stadium to speak to the celebrated 2014 Cleveland Browns first-round pick.

Manziel came off the bench in both of Hamilton’s exhibition games, completing 21-of-32 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown with 29 yards rushing on six carries. While those numbers aren’t off the charts, Manziel did show flashes of brilliance and his confidence has appeared to grow as he gets more familiar with Canadian football.