Johnny Manziel no longer is welcome in Canadian football.
The Montreal Alouettes announced Wednesday they’ve released the former NFL quarterback because he violated conditions of his eligibility to play in the Canadian Football League. The team also announced he’s prohibited from signing with another CFL team.
“We are disappointed by this turn of events,” Alouettes general manager Kavis Reed said in a statement. “Johnny was provided a great deal of support by our organization, in collaboration with the CFL, but he has been unable to abide by the terms of his agreement. We worked with the league and presented alternatives to Johnny, who was unwilling to proceed.”
Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, spent only one season in the CFL. He signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last May, but the team traded him to Montreal after just two preseason game. He started eight regular-season games for Montreal, passing for 1,290 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Following his storied college career, Manziel played the 2014 and 2015 NFL seasons with the Cleveland Browns. However, the team cut him in March 2016 following a series of off-field incidents, including a domestic assault charge.
He spent two years out of professional football, during which he admitted to a long battle with substance and alcohol addiction. He announced his sobriety in January 2017, and his football comeback began in earnest a year later.
Where Manziel, now 26, will play next remains to be seen. He previously had been linked with moves to the Alliance of American Football and/or the Xtreme Football League.
