Johnny Manziel Reportedly Interested in Joining Houston’s XFL Team
Written by SOURCE on June 8, 2019
Johnny Manziel continues his rocky road to redemption as it appears that the quarterback is looking to play for Houston’s XFL franchise.
ESPN reported that Johnny Football has “expressed interest” in being apart of the XFL’s Houston roster. While stopping by the annual TriStar collectors show on Saturday, Manziel spoke to several outlets about the likelihood of playing in the XFL. In 2018, Houston became the eighth team added to the reformed XFL football league. After a failed stint in the Canadian Football League and the crumbling of the Alliance of American Football, this would be Manziel’s true return to the state that made him a superstar.
This is something he mentioned when talking to the Houston Chronicle about the possibility.
“It’s a stone’s throw from College Station,” Manziel said in reference to Texas A&M. “A lot of Aggies drove from Houston to College Station. Houston’s a great city that’ll always be near and dear to me.”
Signing with the XFL would also reunite Johnny with his former coach June Jones. Manziel played for Jones when he signed with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats last season. Per Manziel, the opportunity to connect with the former professional quarterback and NFL coach would be “very cool.”
“Coach Jones is a great guy,” Manziel said. “I enjoyed him from an offensive standpoint, from a personal standpoint. He’s been there for me, especially when I was in Hamilton, getting to a new place, a different country. I enjoyed my time with him very thoroughly, and I think it would be a great opportunity.”
While Houston might have their hearts set on Johnny Football, Manziel seems to just be itching to play. In April, he told TMZ that he’s looking for “any football options” and on Saturday he stated that he’s also intrigued by the XFL’s Dallas team.
This is the latest installment in Manziel’s pending venture into the XFL. The league will reinstate itself for the 2020 season. At that time, Manziel is expected to be part of the draft pool.
The only possible hindrance stems from Manziel’s off-field issues. The XFL has a strict policy against admitting players with criminal records. In 2016, Manziel battled a domestic violence charge. Yet, these charges were dismissed and XFL commissioner Oliver Luck said the quarterback is welcome to enter the league’s draft.
