On Wednesday, the Montreal Alouettes released Johnny Manziel at the instruction of the CFL, which says he “contravened the agreement which made him eligible to play.”
Not only did the Alouettes release Manziel, but the CFL made it clear he would be barred from playing on any of the other teams in the league.
It’s unclear what the violation was that caused this decision, but the Alouettes’ statement on the matter made it clear the team was unhappy.
“We are disappointed by this turn of events. Johnny was provided a great deal of support by our organization, in collaboration with the CFL, but he has been unable to abide by the terms of his agreement,” Alouettes general manager Kavis Reed said in a statement. “We worked with the league and presented alternatives to Johnny, who was unwilling to proceed.”
After news broke, Manziel himself responded with a short statement.
I want to thank Coach Sherman, my teammates, and the CFL fans. My time there reestablished 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.
— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) February 27, 2019
It’s unclear what the “new options” will be in the United States. Manziel may not be allowed to play in the AAF, depending on what happened in the CFL.
Okay, so some clarification re: Manziel and the AAF.
I'm told that if he were to be allocated anywhere, it would be to San Antonio. But the nature of why Manziel was booted from the Alouettes and the CFL is a big detail.
— Ben Kercheval (@BenKercheval) February 27, 2019
Manziel didn’t exactly shine in his lone season with Montreal, passing for 1,290 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions.