Johnny Manziel throws with 13 NFL teams watching at University of San Diego's pro day

Frank Schwab
·NFL writer

Johnny Manziel got an audience with some NFL teams, albeit by a stroke of some luck.

Johnny Manziel worked out at the University of San Diego’s pro day on Thursday, throwing to two USD receivers he has been working out with, and 13 NFL teams were in attendance according to 247Sports.

The NFL teams might not have been there to see Manziel, but he seemed to take advantage of the opportunity. He missed on just two of 38 throws, Schefter said, but keep in mind he was wearing shorts and a shirt and not facing a defense.

Being able to show NFL teams that he has rebounded physically since he last played in the NFL is only one piece of the puzzle. Manziel’s life spiraled out of control during and after his brief NFL career with the Cleveland Browns. He has to prove to teams that he’s serious about being a professional, and even then it might be too late. He’ll come with a lot of baggage, and didn’t play well enough with the Browns where it’s a slam dunk a team would take a shot on him even though he was once a first-round pick.

Manziel ended up throwing at the pro day because he has been working out with two University of San Diego prospects and they asked him to throw to them during their workouts. Manziel agreed on Wednesday to throw to them, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, which probably means no teams specifically booked a last-minute trip to see Manziel.

Manziel is playing in The Spring League, a developmental league, and for a while there has been a back-and-forth about whether he’ll land in the Canadian Football League. He seems sincere about a comeback, though that still seems like a long shot at this moment.

But at least Manziel got a chance to show what he can do in front of NFL teams on Thursday. It’s not a big step, but it’s a step.

Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel threw at the University of San Diego's pro day. (AP)
Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel threw at the University of San Diego’s pro day. (AP)

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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