It looks like pro football could be getting an early gift for 2018... in the former of Johnny Manziel.
In a statement released by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL), it was announced that Manziel would be eligible to play in the league in the 2018 season after he had initially been restricted from joining.
From the Tiger-Cats statement:
"We have been notified that Johnny Manziel, on our negotiation list since September 2012, has gone through the formal process established by Commissioner Randy Ambrosie, and that provided he meets the conditions laid out to him by the Commissioner, is now eligible to play in the Canadian Football League in 2018 and beyond."
The CFL had declared before that "too many red flags" in Manziel's personal life had led to the decision that the former Texas A&M quarterback and Heisman winner would be ineligible from joining the league in the 2017 season. However, it was stated in September that Manziel would be eligible in the 2018 season if he met certain conditions, and it appears that Manziel has reached that point.
Manziel, 25, has not played pro football since the 2015 season, as the Browns released him back in March of last year after growing conerns over Manziel's mental health. Since that release, Manziel was indicted for assault charges (since dropped), fired by his agent, and suspended by the NFL under its drug policy. Manziel's fall comes after he became the first redshirt freshman to win the Heisman Trophy back in 2012. Manziel was later selected by the Cleveland Browns with a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
