The Canadian Football League announced Thursday that commissioner Randy Ambrosie is prepared to approve a contract between QB Johnny Manziel and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, which officially clears the way for Manziel to play next season.
“Since last summer, the Canadian Football League has been engaged in a thorough process to determine the eligibility of Johnny Manziel,” the CFL said in a release, via TSN. “This process has been conducted with the cooperation of Mr. Manziel and independent of the team which currently holds his CFL rights, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
“It has included an ongoing assessment by an independent expert on the issue of violence against women, a review by legal counsel, and an in-person interview of Mr. Manziel conducted by the commissioner. As well, Mr. Manziel has been required to meet a number of conditions set by the league.
“As a result of this process, the commissioner has now informed Mr. Manziel and the Tiger-Cats he is prepared to approve a contract for Mr. Manziel should one be negotiated. The process that led to this decision does, however, continue. Mr. Manziel has been informed he must continue to meet a number of conditions in order to remain eligible. These conditions, while extensive and exacting, remain confidential.”
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats released the following statement regarding the news:
“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.
“We appreciate the CFL office and Commissioner Randy Ambrosie’s due diligence in this matter. We also recognize Johnny Manziel for thus far demonstrating the attributes necessary to continue his career in our great league. We will have no further comment at this time.”
Back in September, the CFL announced that they would not register a contract for Manziel this season, but he would be eligible to sign in 2018.
Manziel, 25, is a former first-round pick of the Browns back in 2014. He was in the second year of his four-year, $8,247,250 rookie contract when the Browns cut him loose at the start of the 2016 league year.
Manziel received a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on recreational drug and wound up sitting out the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
In 2015, Manziel appeared in nine games and thrown for 1,500 yards while completing 57.8 percent of his passes to go along with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. Manziel also ran for 230 yards. Pro Football Focus had him rated as the No. 31 quarterback out of 36 qualifying players that year.
We’ll have more regarding Manziel as the news is available.
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!
