Johnny Manziel responds to CFL’s decision to keep him out until 2018
By Adam Spencer
Published:
On Wednesday, the Canadian Football League released a statement on former Texas A&M star QB Johnny Manziel, discussing why the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner wouldn’t be allowed to play until 2018 at the earliest.
Though the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have his negotiating rights, they won’t be allowed to sign him until the start of the 2018 campaign.
Manziel released a statement of his own on Wednesday afternoon, saying that he’s ready to play again, but understands the league’s decision to hold him out with only about a month to go in this season (via Pro Football Talk):
“I recently had a really positive meeting with Commissioner Ambrosie and welcomed the chance for us to get to know each other and have an in-depth talk about a possible future with the CFL,” Manziel’s statement reads. “I love this game and want to be back on the field in a situation where I can help a franchise in the long term. Over the past months, my agent helped me vet all of my options for playing, figuring out where I could be most effective and get back to having the most fun with the game I love.
“I’m ready to play today, but we all agreed with the Commissioner that it made no sense for me to join a team with only a month left in the season — it wouldn’t have been fair to my teammates, coaches or the fan base. I want to come into a team and earn my job day one, like everyone else. I look forward to preparing myself as best I can and look forward to what the future holds.”
Manziel’s NFL career obviously didn’t go according to plan, as he flamed out with the Cleveland Browns in only two years.
However, he has plenty of talent, and if he’s completely focused on football, he could immediately step in as one of the best quarterbacks in the CFL next summer.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
