Johnny Manziel is set to appear in his first pro football game in the United States since 2018 after signing with the Memphis Express this past week.
During a joint press conference with Express head coach Mike Singletary on Wednesday ahead of Sunday’s game against the Salt Lake Stallions, Manziel made it clear he “absolutely” still has the goal of returning to the NFL.
Manziel also said that the passion and fire to play football is still there for him, and that if he could give advice to the Johnny Manziel from five years ago he’d tell him to “focus and work and sacrifice fun for hard work.”
“Keep the main thing the main thing and focus on what you love and what makes you happy. I got immersed and lost in a bunch of things that only gave me temporary happiness and this game and what it’s done for me has kept joy in my life and made me abundantly happy,” Manziel added.
As for his immediate future, Manziel will be the backup to Brandon Silvers on Sunday against Salt Lake, Singletary said on Wednesday.
For what it’s worth, Manziel has a long road ahead of him before an NFL camp invite will be extended. His experience in the Spring League last year, and his season spent in the CFL, show that his game still doesn’t measure up.