Johnny Manziel isn’t necessarily ruling out a career in the CFL.
The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner hasn’t been with an NFL team since the Cleveland Browns released him in 2016, but Manziel remains confident his professional football career is still alive.
While at the International Football Betting Conference, Manziel addressed that he could still consider the CFL to remain involved in football.
“In terms of looking at the CFL route, it’s definitely something that I’ve looked into,” Manziel told Clay Travis of Outkick The Coverage . “If I wouldn’t have had as much interest that I’ve had this year in talking with some teams. I probably would have taken that route.”
SIGN UP to watch every NFL game this season in Canada on Da Zone (DAZN)If the 24-year-old did decide to join the CFL, there would be one team already beckoning his duties, the Hamilton Ti-Cats. Hamilton already has one of the league’s top QB’s — Zach Collaros — but it also holds the rights to Manziel as part of the team’s “negotiation list.”
Collaros’ job is nowhere near being in jeopardy, even with the Ti-Cats 0-6 record, but the addition of Manziel could provide Hamilton with another option on the depth chart.
“If Johnny Manziel ever felt that the CFL was an option,” Tiger-Cats CEO Scott Mitchell told ESPN’s Kevin Seifert in May. “I think we can understand he would have great value and what kind of player he can be in our league.”
It was revealed that Manziel is a part of the Ti-Cats negotiation list in a YouTube video in which Ti-Cats general manager Eric Tillman name dropped a few players that the organization was interested in.
“[Manziel] is just Houdini with the football,” Tillman said. “Just going to be a dynamic player in Canada if he comes. We’d love to see him get another NFL opportunity. He could be one of the most exciting players in the Canadian Football League since Doug Flutie.”
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Along with Manziel, Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III are both on Hamilton’s negotiation list.
In his college career, Manziel amassed over 7,500 yards with 63 touchdowns. He became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy. In his two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Manziel started eight games and had seven touchdowns, with over 1,500 yards