Life can work in mysterious ways, and perhaps Johnny Football will be able to say the same.
Johnny Manziel seemed to be living the life. He was a star college football player in one of the biggest football states in America, won the Heisman Trophy in 2012, and was a first-round draft pick in the NFL draft. However, that seems to be were Johnny’s light started to dim. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns and was the backup quarterback. He eventually started in 14 games, throwing for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
To put it lightly, Manziel’s NFL career did not play out the way many thought it would.
Before the 2016 campaign, the Browns cut Manziel after he was going through personal troubles, and matters with the law. Things were not looking good for the star from Texas A&M. However, he got his second chance, a chance that many didn’t think would happen. Manziel was picked up by the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League. It looked like Manziel was back in business. He was again a professional football player.
After being picked up by the Tiger Cats, Manziel was again on the move. After 5 games of not starting, the Tiger Cats traded him to the Montreal Alouettes. On the Alouettes, Manziel played eight games and completed 106 pass attempts for 1,290 yards, five touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Sure, the stats weren’t very pretty, but these were Manziel’s first starts as a professional quarterback since his stint with the Browns.
In his first game, he threw for four interceptions.
From there on, it looked like he was making true progress.
But, this came to a screeching halt. Manziel was once again in trouble: this time, with his current team. He violated his contract and was released from the Alouette, and banned from signing another contract in the CFL.
Luckily for Manziel, this could be how life works in mysterious ways. Second chances don’t always come for people, let alone third chances, but that might be what he is in for. The new football league, the Alliance of American Football was established for reasons like this. The AAF was built for players that went to lower-division schools, folks that were cut from NFL teams, and players that need their second chance at the NFL.
Johnny Manziel joining the AAF makes all the sense in the world. Manziel could be back in his home state of Texas playing for San Antonio. He would be back to wearing that maroon color we were all so used to seeing him in. Manziel would be back on the big screen in America playing the game he loves.
The stars are aligning for Johnny Manziel, and America is here for it. We need to believe that Manziel is focused on football, and bettering his life. If this is true, the AAF is the perfect place for Manziel to end up, the home of the second chance.
This would give the kid from Texas a chance to play professional football back in Texas on national television, where he belongs.
