Manziel signs with AAF, joins Express
Johnny Manziel has played in the NFL, CFL, and The Spring League. Now he's signed an agreement to join the Alliance of American Football, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The AAF team with the lowest win-loss percentage held the first crack at Manziel through the league's waiver process. As a result, he's landed with the 1-5 Memphis Express, CBS Sports' Ben Kercheval confirms. He'll be immediately eligible to play with his new team.
"We are pleased to welcome Johnny Manziel to Alliance of American Football, which we've always described as a league of opportunity for talented players to launch or revitalize their pro football careers," league co-founder Bill Polian said in a statement.
"We completed extensive background work to determine whether it would be appropriate for Johnny to play this season," Polian added, "and after consulting with many people familiar with his situation, we concluded that it would be good for him to resume his pro football career here at The Alliance."
The 2012 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback is the third high-profile passer on the team's roster, slotting in alongside Zach Mettenberger and Christian Hackenberg. Brandon Silvers replaced Mettenberger after he suffered an injury during Saturday's loss.
Manziel spent 2018 in Canada, playing five games with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and 11 for the Montreal Alouettes following a midseason trade. He completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,290 yards, with five touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The CFL directed the Alouettes to release Manziel in February due to an agreement breach.
The AAF's San Antonio Commanders initially held the first dibs on Manziel, but they released his college allocation rights.
Copyright (C) 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.