Hamilton Tiger-Cats offer controversial quart back Johnny Manziel a contract
The surprise would have been if the Hamilton Tiger-Cats hadn’t offered Johnny Manziel a contract.
As expected, and virtually confirmed all last week by vice-president of football operations Kent Austin, the CFL team has offered the quarterback a CFL contract. Thus meeting a noon Sunday league-set deadline required for the Ticats to keep the talented, but controversial, quarterback on their 45-man negotiation list.
“As per the negotiation list process, Johnny Manziel and his agent recently notified the TigerCats that they had activated the 10day window during which the Tiger-Cats must offer him a contract or lose his negotiation list rights,” the Cats said in a statement.
“That window closed today and we can confirm that we made an offer to Manziel, and that his rights will remain on our negotiation list while discussions with he and his agent continue. We will have no further comment.”
A CFL spokesperson confirmed to The Spectator that an offer had been made, adding that “it’s between the two parties now.”
CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie took over the Manziel file in late September, after meeting with the former Texas A&M star, who’s had well-publicized off-field problems in college and at the pro level, with the Cleveland Browns (a domestic violence charge since dismissed, an NFL substance-abuse suspension, a slew of social media postings around his partying).
Ambrosie had him assessed by an expert in the prevention of domestic violence, but said he couldn’t play in the league in 2017.
But Ambrosie did leave the door open for Manziel to sign a contract if he met certain, unreleased, conditions. Dec. 28, the commissioner announced that Manziel had met those conditions and the Ticats could offer him a contract, but had only 10 days to do so, or he would be removed from their negotiation list to become a CFL free agent.
Austin had said the team would be “foolish” to walk away from such an asset. The former Heisman Trophy winner could eventually play for the Cats (current No. 1 Jeremiah Masoli signed a two-year deal for starter’s money last week) or his rights could be traded.
By offering Manziel a contract, the details of which are as yet unknown, (although it’s likely higher than the league minimum) the Ticats retain his negotiation list rights for another year, even if they don’t sign him.
However, in at least the last 12 years, no Canadian Football League negotiation list player who was offered a contract remained on that team’s list for the full year, a league official has told The Spectator.
Austin and head coach June Jones have both been effusive in their praise of Manziel’s potential in the CFL.
The offer likely came Saturday, as late that night Manziel playfully stirred the waters, returning to Instagram for the first time in seven months.
“Just wait on it #ComebackSZN” Manziel wrote in one of three new posts.