The comeback story of Johnny Manziel will take its next major step forward as the quarterback will make his first CFL start on Friday.
Former Cleveland Browns first-round pick Johnny Manziel signing with the CFL this offseason shouldn’t have been much of a surprise. Yes, he the quarterback deemed it “Comeback SZN” as he tried to make his way back into professional football, but coming right back to the NFL was always a longshot. Hence why he ultimately landed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Unfortunately for Manziel, his arrival with the Tiger-Cats didn’t ensure him time on the field. While he saw limited action in the preseason, it wasn’t enough to ultimately win the starting job. Thus, he spent five games with Hamilton without seeing the field. But then things started to change for Manziel’s luck as he was traded to the quarterback-needy Montreal Alouettes.
After sitting for one game with his new team (predictable given the timing of the trade), Manziel is about to get his chance. On Friday as the Alouettes fortuitously take on the Tiger-Cats, Manziel is going to be the starting quarterback, the team announced on Tuesday.
Manziel won’t have an easy task in leading Montreal as they aren’t good this season. Why they traded for him and why he’s already being handed the reins of the offense is because they enter Friday’s matchup with a 1-5 record. However, what’s more important in terms of the player is that he’s getting the opportunity at all.
It’s been since the 2015 season since Johnny Manziel has been on the field in an NFL game. His off-field issues caused his career and life to get derailed, and he never was able to live up to the hype that was enormous throughout his time in college at Texas A&M. Though he certainly has his critics still, he’s been on a mission to prove he’s changed as a man and that he can still get it done on the field.
For the most part, Manziel has done his part off the field to prove that he’s changed. All signs point to him legitimately having his life far more together than he ever did while with the Browns. Now he has the chance to start showing the part that takes place on the field.
If Manziel succeeds in his first start and the ones thereafter in the CFL, there’s no telling if opportunities in the NFL await. However, it’s quite obvious that him playing well for the Alouettes makes that possibility much more likely than if he struggles.