It appears that ex-Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel gave up on trying to get back to the NFL. Speaking with ESPN on Friday, Manziel said that his professional career “in my eyes is over”.
Manziel last played as a pro in 2019 with Memphis Express in the now-defunct Alliance of American Football. He announced his retirement from football in 2020 before signing to play in Fan Controlled Football (FCF) for the Zappers. FCF is a 7-on-7 indoor league controlled by fans and broadcasted on several streaming platforms, including Twitch.
During his ESPN interview, Manziel also revealed that he’d return to FCF when the league begins its second season in 2022.
“This is a way to go out and compete and have fun on the way smaller scale,” Manziel said. “I don’t have the drive to play football at a high level anymore.”
Johnny Manziel is best known for his successful college career with the Texas A&M. While with the Aggies, Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy while picking up several other individual accolades. This prompted the Browns to trade up in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft and take him with the 22nd overall pick.
However, Manziel failed to replicate his college success to the NFL. He picked up eight starts in his first two seasons as a pro but largely struggled to play on a high level. This, coupled with his off-the-field antics, caused Cleveland to release him in early 2016.
After being released by the Browns, Manziel never made the NFL roster again. He later played in Canadian Football League and had previously mentioned a stint in AAF.
