Johnny Manziel Signs With AAF’s Memphis Express In Return To U.S. Football

Will Johnny Manziel add stardust to the Alliance of American Football?

The upstart league announced Saturday night it has signed the former NFL quarterback, and Memphis Express claimed him off waivers after the San Antonio Commanders declined to exercise their right to acquire him. The Express touted the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner’s signing, and he reported to the team Sunday, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein.

“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,” AAF co-founder Bill Polian said Saturday in a statement, per ESPN. “We completed extensive background work to determine whether it would be appropriate for Johnny to play this season, 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.”

Manziel, 26, most recently played in the Canadian Football League for the Montreal Alouettes, but the team cut him after one season, and the CFL banned him for violating conditions of his eligibility.

He previously spent two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, who selected him with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. His record as a starter was just 2-6, and the Browns cut him in March 2016 following a series of off-field incidents, including a domestic assault charge.

Manziel later revealed he suffered from bipolar disorder and battled alcoholism. He announced his sobriety in January 2017, and his football comeback began in earnest a year later with the CFL stop. He now repatriates his talents south of the U.S./Canada border.