Memphis Express

Johnny Manziel will go to great lengths to help draw attention for the Alliance of American Football.

On Monday night, Eminem tweeted the AAF should allow on-field fighting—similar to hockey—arguing it "would be key to league's success." Regardless of whether the league takes Eminem's advice, Manziel is already onboard.

I got you 🐐 https://t.co/oNXEErCxHD

— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) March 26, 2019

Manziel made his AAF debut for the Memphis Express in Sunday's 31-25 win over the Birmingham Iron. The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner backed up starting quarterback Brandon Silvers and saw limited action. He finished 3-of-5 for 38 yards and ran for 20 yards on two carries.

Silvers had 266 yards and two touchdowns, so Manziel will likely be riding the bench again when Memphis returns to action Saturday against the Orlando Apollos.

Maybe Manziel will have a future as the Express' designated enforcer.

Model Bre Tiesi, the wife of former Heisman winner Johnny Manziel, said "vows were broken" in their marriage in an Instagram post. 

Tiesi, who has taken nearly all traces of Manziel off her social media accounts and removed his surname from her public profile, replied to a series of comments asking about the status of their marriage.

"maybe u should wonder why I would leave him instead of worrying about 'money' lucky for him I don't air out personals and lucky for u you are behind a screen u low life,” Tiesi said in a since-deleted comment captured by The Spun.

"u been married? U been betrayed? I don't do betrayal for a person I was devoted to period. Vows were broken f--k money and f--k u and every other loser on here," Tiesi said in another comment.

Manziel and Tiesi were married in 2018. The couple does not have any children. Manziel, who made his AAF debut over the weekend, has not publicly commented on the status of the marriage.

The quarterback returned to Instagram on Sunday after not posting on his profile since August. 

Johnny Manziel debuted in the Alliance of American Football on Sunday night, his third professional football league, as the quarterback of the Memphis Express.

Down 16-8 to the Birmingham Iron with 7:12 left in the second quarter, Manziel replaced starting quarterback Brandon Silvers. His first AAF play looked a lot like what used to be the norm for him as the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner at Texas A&M as he scrambled for a 13-yard gain.

HERE'S JOHNNY. @JManziel2 now under center for the @aafexpress on @nflnetwork 📺. pic.twitter.com/0FWDaDh5BE

— The Alliance (@TheAAF) March 25, 2019

On the same drive, the 2014 No. 22 overall selection of the Cleveland Browns hit Express wide receiver Alton "Pig" Howard down the sideline for a 36-yard gain and his first AAF completion.

Johnny Manziel’s first completion as a member of the Express.#BHMvsMEM | #AllAboard pic.twitter.com/S017L3PHm5

— Memphis Express (@aafexpress) March 25, 2019

Silvers played the majority of the second half and led the Express to a 31-25 overtime comeback, but Manziel was good for another impressive completion to wide receiver Reece Horn. Manziel ended the night with three completions on five attempts for 48 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions.

The Express acquired Manziel on March 16 when he signed a player contract with the AAF. The Express claimed Manziel off waivers.

"This league is exactly what a lot of guys needed," Manziel said at his introductory press conference, per the Express. "There's a limited amount of opportunities and reps you get in the NFL or elsewhere."

Manziel will have to fight for his opportunity in Memphis as Silvers made a strong case to maintain the starting job on Sunday night.

Former Heisman Trophy winner and first-round NFL draft pick Johnny Manziel is now a member of the AAF's Memphis Express. 

While Manziel hasn't taken a snap during a game yet, Express co-offensive coordinator Bobby Blizzard said he's "ready right now" to compete.

"I think he's ready right now, just because he knows so much of our offense right now," Blizzard told Express team reporter Dylan Rubino. "He's building chemistry already with the weapons we have and the offensive line. He's familiar with everything that we do. If he gets in the game, I will call a play that he's familiar with."

Per Rubino, Manziel has taken the second-most snaps at practice this week behind Brandon Silvers, who will start at quarterback for Memphis against the Birmingham Iron at home on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.

Blizzard explained in detail why he felt Manziel was ready to roll.

"I mentioned the type of offense I ran, shouted some of the terminology I use, and his eyes lit up," Blizzard told Rubino. "He was calling out the plays before I even said anything. I looked at [Express head coach Mike Singletary] and gave him a thumbs up. He probably knew 75-to-80 percent of the offense before he even took a snap at practice."

Manziel shares his new coach's confidence.

"I'm light years away from where I was the first day out here," Manziel told Rubino after the Friday practice. "I'm very confident in myself and what we're doing here, what we're running and just trying to get better every day.

"I got to have a good, firm foundation of what this offense is. There's plays in our playbook right now that are exactly the same as the game-winner that I threw against Ole Miss. All across the SEC, I ran these plays successfully."

That familiarity could help jumpstart a pro career that has not gone to plan since 2014. Manziel completed just 57.0 percent of his passes in 15 games over two seasons for the Browns, throwing seven touchdowns and seven picks. He only managed 6.5 yards per pass attempt.

Off the field, Manziel has been the center of a tumultuous and turbulent series of off-the-field concerns, detailed by SportsDayDFW.com, which included allegations of domestic violence and multiple fines for his actions like flipping off a coach and arriving late for meetings.

He's largely stayed out of the news over the past few years, however, and earned some time with the CFL's Montreal Alouettes. Last season, Manziel completed 106 of 165 passes for five touchdowns and seven interceptions in eight games.

Although Silvers will be getting the start, the Express don't have much to lose by throwing the 26-year-old Manziel into a game in the near future.

The 1-5 team will be eliminated from postseason contention if they lose to the Iron, but three regular-season contests remain after the Birmingham matchup.

Johnny Manziel is officially part of Memphis Express after practicing with the Alliance of American Football team Monday.

#️⃣2️⃣ in the building.

✈️ | #AllAboard pic.twitter.com/cFwIZe7WAI

— Memphis Express (@aafexpress) March 18, 2019

Manziel signed with Memphis on Saturday after he was claimed by the 1-5 team on waivers. This came just a couple of weeks after being removed from the Canadian Football League for violating his contract.

While his ultimate goal is likely to return to the NFL, the AAF provides the former Heisman Trophy winner with a chance to play professional football in the United States for the first time since 2015 with the Cleveland Browns.

Additionally, there is an opportunity for immediate playing time after starter Zach Mettenberger suffered an ankle injury in Saturday's game.

Brandon Silvers replaced Mettenberger on the field and former New York Jets quarterback Christian Hackenberger is also on the roster. However, the team could use this opportunity to see what type of contributions Manziel can provide.