Love him or hate him, quarterback Johnny Manziel is one of the greatest college football quarterbacks of all time. His record-setting freshman year in 2012 for the Texas A&M University Aggies was one for the ages, as he became the first freshman in NCAA history to ever win the Heisman Trophy award after rushing for 1,000 yards and passing for 3,000.
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The legend of Johnny Football got off to a rocky start in his debut against the Florida Gators but was officially in full swing when he dismantled Nick Saban's top-ranked Alabama squad in 2012 when he accounted for 345 yards of offense against the Crimson Tide. He went on to win numerous awards like the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award (2012), the Manning Award (2012), Associated Press Player of the Year (2012), SEC Offensive Player of the Year (2012) and consensus First-Team All-American (2012).
Offseason off-the-field incidents such as lawsuits, bar fights, domestic violence cases and endless partying have overshadowed all of the football player's gridiron abilities, however, and maybe hindered his play on the field.
That didn't stop the Cleveland Browns from selecting Manziel in the first round (22nd overall pick) in the 2014 NFL Draft. The pick was almost instantly regretted, though, because the Davey O'Brien award winner started just eight games in two years before being cut.
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Since then, Manziel bounced around professional leagues like the CFL, AAF, FCF and was rumored in the return of the XFL before it folded, which would undoubtedly have drawn viewers.
From his playing contracts, endorsements, sponsorships and other miscellaneous revenue sources, Johnny Football has earned a good chunk of change over his football career. Because you've probably wondered how much Johnny Manziel's net worth is, let's take a look at how he's built his fortune.
Johnny Manziel's NFL Contracts
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Born to Michelle Manziel and Paul Manziel in Tyler, Texas, Johnathan Paul Manziel developed into a star quarterback at Tivy High School. He threw for 76 touchdowns and more than 7,600 passing yards in three years as a starter and earned Parade All-American honors his senior year as well as The National High School Coaches Association Senior Athlete of the Year in football.
Manziel originally committed to Oregon and head coach Chip Kelly after receiving multiple interest from Division-I schools across the United States, but he flipped to TAMU thanks to the influence of quarterbacks coach Tom Rossley. Manziel's college career is his claim to fame, so it's no surprise it's the most detailed part of his wiki page. He famously led the Aggies to a win over Alabama in his first year as starting quarterback, cementing his Heisman moment. He had a great sophomore year, too, throwing for 4,114 yards and 37 touchdowns.
Most of Manziel's career earning come from his time in the National Football League with the Browns. He signed a four-year rookie contract worth $8.247 million in 2014 that included $6.702 million guaranteed and a $4.318 million signing bonus.
However, he lost out on as much as $2 million in guaranteed money because the Browns voided that sum before cutting him in 2016. Johnny Football's stay in Cleveland lasted a brief two years — and he won just three total games against the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans — but he made $5.53 million over that time, according to CBS.
The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner turned his attention to the Canadian Football League next. He signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in May of 2018, a contract worth a couple hundred thousand dollars that included a base salary of $120,000. Before playing a snap for the Tiger-Cats, he was traded to the Montreal Alouettes. He threw four interceptions in the first half of his CFL debut on Aug. 3 and finished the season posting five touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 64.2 completion percentage in eight games.
The CFL cut ties with him after the season and barred him from signing with other teams for failing to meet expectations of his contract. He reportedly didn't attend weekly meetings and failed to see a doctor like they required.
He then had a brief stint in the Alliance of American Football. Details of Manziel's contract with the Memphis Express were never reported, but it's a good bet he signed a similar deal other players signed: a three-year, $250,000 non-guaranteed contract in which players make $70,000 in their first season. The league, of course, ran out of money which meant some players didn't get paid for some games.
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Manziel's last stint in professional football was with the Zappers of the Fan Controlled Football indoor football league. He played one up and down season and called it quits in February 2021.
Endorsements & Miscellaneous Business Ventures
Most brands have dropped Johnny Football since his NFL days have ended, but he had plenty of endorsements during his heyday.
Manziel signed a multi-year deal with Nike in 2014 but was dropped by the brand sometime after the 2015 season, ESPN reported. The quarterback has also signed deals in the past with sports collectible company Panini America, Nissan, MusclePharm, Snickers and McDonald's, though none of those seem to still be active.
In addition to endorsements, Manziel has raked in money via in-person autograph meet-and-greet sessions like the one he did in 2015 in College Station, Texas. The Associated Press reported Manziel charged 350 people $125 per ticket, which came out to roughly $44,000. That's easy money for just signing jerseys and taking pictures with fans.
Manziel's impact in College Station went far beyond that. ESPN reported that Texas A&M brought in in $740 million in donations in 2013, much of which can be attributed to one man: Johnny Manziel. Additionally, Manziel's business leader during his college career, Nathan Fitch, estimated that Manziel could have been worth as much as $2 million in college. It's certain that had the NCAA's new Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rules been been around when Manziel was on the Texas A&M football team, he would've been swimming in cash.
Manziel was married to socialite Bre Tiesi. The couple filed for divorce in December 2019 with Tiesi citing "irreconcilable differences" between the two.
Johnny Manziel Net Worth 2021
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Manziel appears to be out of football for good after flopping out of the FCF. Nothing is set in stone, however, which means Manziel may be living off of what he's made in the past.
The Aggie legend comes from an extremely wealthy family — Manziel's grandfather, Bobby Joe Manziel, made out well in the oil industry — so he may receive help from them when or if he needs it.
Still, Celebrity Net Worth estimates that the Johnny Manziel's net worth falls in the $6 million range. That isn't too bad considering he spent huge sums partying and hitting up some of the country's hottest night clubs.
Johnny Manziel's parents, Paul and Michelle Manziel, are oil tycoons and former business people who dabbled in real estate over the years. Celebrity Net Worth estimates their net worth around $50 million.
Hopefully, Johnny Football gets his act together and returns to professional football fully focused at some point, because the sports universe is a more exciting place with him in it. If not, hopefully he stays out of trouble.
This article was originally published June 29, 2019.
