Is Johnny Manziel on his way back to playing professional football?
It’s been a decade since Johnny Manziel celebrated being an NFL first-round pick. Now, he is being courted by the Arena Football League.
AFL commissioner Lee Hutton III told TMZ Sports this week he has personally sent a direct message to Johnny Manziel to gauge his interest in joining the league.
“I reached out to Johnny Manziel,” Hutton said. “So, Johnny, I’m a Texas guy. So, if you’re ready to come back and indoors—because you did very well—we will take you. We will find a spot for you.”
Here is how social media responded:
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This is gearing up to be the third iteration of the AFL as it is set to launch in April. The league most recently played a season in 2019 before ceasing all operations after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Bringing in a high-profile player like Johnny Manziel, no matter how long he has been out of action, is sure to drum up a ton of interest from fans.
Three years later in 2022, F1 Sports & Entertainment purchased the rights to the AFL. One year after that, the league would announce a relaunch with plans to formally play games starting in 2024.
The original league ran for 22 seasons from 1987 to 2008 before folding in 2009 due to financial and leadership issues. The new iteration will have a total of 16 teams playing in the new Arena Football League. This will be the most teams the league has had in a single season 2012 when there were 17.
Johnny Manziel Had All The Hype Coming Out of College But Became A Major Bust
The 31-year-old Johnny Manziel was a superstar in college at Texas A&M. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2012, becoming just the second Aggies player ever to do so. He would then be a first-round draft pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2014. His NFL career lasted just two seasons before he was released by the club in March 2016.
Johnny Manziel most recently played in the Fan Controlled Football League in 2022.
He also had stints in the Canadian Football League and Alliance of American Football after his NFL career ended.
