Johnny Manziel released by Montreal Alouettes and barred from CFL
Johnny Manziel’s time in the Canadian Football League is over. The CFL terminated the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner’s contract with the Montreal Alouettes on Wednesday. The league also informed the eight other teams that it wouldn’t register a contract for Manziel if any tried to sign him.
The league said Manziel had violated an agreement that made him eligible to play in the CFL. “We advised Montreal that Johnny had violated one of the conditions we had set for him to be in our league. And Montreal announced his release today,” CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said. “We didn’t release the terms of those conditions then and we’re not going to do that now. “
A post on Manziel’s Twitter account indicated he was already looking for other opportunities. “I want to thank [Alouettes coach Mike Sherman], my teammates and the CFL fans,” Manziel tweeted . “My time there re-established 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.”
One option for the former Texas A&M star and onetime Cleveland Brown could be the Alliance of American Football, which kicked off its inaugural season earlier this month. Manziel said he was intrigued by the prospect of playing in either that or Xtreme Football League, which begins operation next year.
“It’s great for football, it’s great for the guys who need more opportunity, need more film and time to play,” Manziel said on Barstool Sports Comeback SZN podcast. “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.
The CFL’s due diligence when Manziel joined the league included an assessment by an independent expert on domestic violence and a head-tohead meeting between Manziel and Ambrosie. Exactly what conditions or requirements that were broken or violated weren’t divulged. Manziel had sought treatment for anger management and alcohol abuse as part of his acquittal on a 2016 charge of domestic violence.
Manziel went 2-6 as a starter in Montreal, completing 106 of 165 passes for 1,290 yards with five TDs and seven interceptions. He also ran for 215 yards on 29 carries as Montreal missed the CFL playoffs.
“We are disappointed by this turn of events,” Alouettes GM Kavis Reed said in a statement. “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.”
Manziel was taken in the first round, No22 overall, in the 2014 NFL draft by Cleveland. But following two tumultuous seasons, the Browns released the Texan in March 2016 after he posted a 2-6 record as their starter. Manziel appeared in just 14 games with Cleveland, completing 47 of 258 attempts for 1,675 yards with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for 259 yards and a touchdown.