Johnny Manziel – Noteworthy
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. “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 in Vancouver. “We didn’t release the terms of those conditions then and we’re not going to do that now.
“We’re trying to do what we believe is in the best interests of the entire league. The conditions we set, we thought were the right ones. Those conditions have been violated and we feel it’s best, and Montreal feels its best, to let Johnny move on. And we think it’s best for our league that he do the same. And we wish him well.” 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. – AP Football
Johnny Manziel – Noteworthy
Johnny Manziel is now “available” to the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football, the team’s general manager said Thursday. That doesn’t mean Daryl Johnston plans to sign him. Before acting on Manziel, the Commanders and the new league are looking into why Manziel’s contract was terminated by the CFL this week. “I had a conversation with (Alliance chairman) Tom Dundon, he’s the one who informed me of what happened and that Johnny Manziel was now available,” Johnston said Thursday. “He just said, ‘He belongs to you in San Antonio, what are your thoughts?’ “I said, ‘Let’s sit back and see what the league thinks and then we’ll move ahead from there.’ We’re just kind of in a holding pattern right now here locally in San Antonio.”
Manziel’s contract with the Montreal Alouettes was terminated Wednesday. The league also told the eight other CFL clubs it wouldn’t register a contract for Manziel if anyone tried to sign the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner. The league said Manziel, a first-round draft pick by Cleveland in 2013 who soon flamed out of the NFL, breached an agreement that made him eligible for the CFL. The Commanders own Manziel’s AAF rights because he played at Texas A&M. The franchise has seven regular-season games remaining. San Antonio, coached by former Winnipeg Blue Bombers coach Mike Riley, has a 1-2 record with quarterback Logan Woodside. He’s second in passing yards (629) but has completed just 50 of 98 attempts and thrown five interceptions to two touchdowns. – AP Football