Johnny Manziel Announces He Will Rejoin Fan Controlled Football League
March 25, 2022
Johnny Manziel will be back on the football field in 2022.
The Fan Controlled Football League announced Manziel is returning for a second season this year. The seven-on-seven league is scheduled to resume games on April 16 in an Atlanta indoor facility.
He also announced his decision to TMZ Sports prior to the league's official confirmation.
Manziel told ESPN's Kevin Seifert that he is no longer pursuing a return to the NFL because he believes his traditional football career "in my eyes is over." He called the FCF something he "wanted to do for fun."
Fan Controlled Football brings the traditional game into the world of esports. The league is broadcast mainly on Twitch and incorporates fan engagement into its games.
"This is a way to go out and compete and have fun on a way smaller scale," Manziel said. "I don't have the drive to play football at a high level anymore. I don't have a drive to be the best football player anymore that I used to have in my life, and I'm OK with that."
Manziel is known for his Heisman Trophy-winning season at Texas A&M in 2012. The 29-year-old was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2014 draft, but his NFL career lasted just two years.
He had a stint in the CFL in 2018 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes. Manziel signed with the AAF's Memphis Express in 2019. He played the 2021 FCF season for the Zappers.
The FCF has expanded from four to eight teams for the 2022 season. Some of the league's celebrity owners include NFL players Dalvin Cook, Austin Ekeler, Richard Sherman and retired Marshawn Lynch.