Update:
According to Kevin Seifert of ESPN, the CFL is still weighing whether to allow the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to sign former Browns QB Johnny Manziel in the league this season.
The Tiger-Cats have placed Manziel on their negotiation list, which triggers a 10-day window in which the team must either sign him to a contract or renounce his rights.
Hamilton reportedly notified Manziel’s agent that they planned on starting the 10-day window, but the CFL has decided to extend the window of time in order to “facilitate a process of evaluation for the player.”
As of now, there’s currently no timetable for a decision from the CFL.
According to Jason La Canfora, the expectation among other CFL teams is that the league will allow the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to sign QB Johnny Manziel to a contract. In fact, La Canfora says that he “would be surprised if [it] doesn’t happen.”
La Canfora adds that Hamilton at one point also had the signing rights to Colin Kaepernick, but it sounds like Montreal now owns those rights, but this doesn’t mean he’ll be playing in the CFL anytime soon.
Manziel has been linked to the Tiger-Cats for a few months now.
Last we heard, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that the Tiger-Cats remain “keenly interested” in signing Manziel and feeling is mutual. Although, the Tiger-Cats were reportedly keeping a low profile after their failed attempt to hire former Baylor HC Art Briles and are fearful of making any other moves that could invite any other scrutiny.
TSN previously reported that the Tiger-Cats brought in for a workout last month. However, the report added that they were unlikely to sign Manziel because there are “too many red flags” regarding the former first-round pick and they came away convinced he’s not ready to resume his professional career.
Tiger-Cats VP Kent Austin later released a statement that said they aren’t “interested in signing Johnny right now.”
Manziel received a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on recreational drug and wound up sitting out the entire 2016 season to focus on a return this year.
Manziel, 24, 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.
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.
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