Manziel's reported Roughriders workout in violation of CFL rules
Following his tumultuous exit from the NFL, Johnny Manziel had vowed to get sober and focus on a return to the football field. He appears to be doing just that, as he’s reportedly keen on taking his game north of the border. But as he’s domonstrated in spades, it appears Manziel may still have trouble playing by the rules.
Johnny Football had reportedly worked out for the Saskatchewan Roughriders ahead of last month’s Senior Bowl, according to 3DownNation.com. The problem lies with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who had Manziel added to their negotiation list back in 2012. As the Hamilton Spectator notes, the Roughriders were not granted permission to conduct a workout with Manziel, which means the reported workout would be in direct violation of the CFL’s by-laws.
“The rules regarding the neglist are outlined in our by-laws. A team has exclusive rights to a player on their neglist,” a league official shared with the Spectator. “Therefore that player could not be contacted by, worked out by, or negotiate with another club unless consent is given.”
The Roughriders organization has joined Manziel’s spokesperson in refuting a report of an illegal workout, TSN reports.
Manziel, who won the Heisman Trophy back in 2012, had missed the entire 2016 NFL season after he was cut by the Cleveland Browns. He was suspended for the first four games of the season after violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy and, if he were to sign with a new NFL team, could face additional discipline over his domestic violence case.
In recent months, Manziel had made his road to redemption a public affair, posting photos and videos of his workouts on social media before deleting his Twitter account (his Instagram is still active).
As his NFL prospects appeared to be dwindling, many had wondered if the troubled QB would eventually consider playing in the Canadian Football League. CFL Commissioner Jeffrey Orridge had once told ESPN that Manziel would be welcome north of the border, but only if he could prove that his conduct would fall in line with the culture of the league.
