Cleveland Browns

Johnny Manziel Works Out with Candian Football League Team

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:53 p.m. ET

Fansided, Matthew Bartlett/FanSided via Gig Em Gazette

Johnny Manziel might be closer than many expected to making his dreams of becoming a professional football player again a reality.

As was first reported by Justin Dunk of the Hamilton Spectator, the current Texas A&M football quarterback appears to have had a professional workout.

Sources say Manziel was put through the paces by the Riders in Florida in advance of last month’s Senior Bowl. Manziel resides on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ negotiation list, having been added on Sept. 9, 2012, and Saskatchewan did not have permission to conduct the workout. That’s a violation of CFL bylaws, according to the league.

There has already been chatter of Johnny Manziel being the perpetrator of the breaking of CFL rules by working out with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Honestly, that feels a bit like assigning a pre-written agenda to this report.

The truth is most Americans don’t know much about the CFL or its rules. Did you know that the Hamilton Tiger-Cats or Saskatchewan Roughriders existed before you read this piece? Probably not. For that matter, Johnny Manziel might not have known either.

If these reports are true, it means that a member of the Tiger Cats’ staff called Manziel and asked for a workout. That shoots down the narrative of reckless Johnny off to get in more trouble. It also raises the question of how legitimate his comeback attempt might turn out to be.

Can Manziel Reach the NFL Again?

Many have written off Johnny Manziel as a troubled young man that blew his chance as a professional career. If there’s a football team in North America willing to give him a workout that would indicate that sport is still curious about Manziel’s untapped potential.

Current NFL players Jon Ryan, Brandon Browner, and Cameron Wake are just a few that have successful jumped to the NFL from the CFL. All Manziel needs is one team to take a chance on him. If he gets that chance he has a legitimate shot at making his NFL dreams come true.