Montreal Alouettes

Although the Canadian Football League originally seemed like a stepping stone in Johnny Manziel's attempted return to the NFL, he is now planning on returning to the Montreal Alouettes next season.

"I didn't really know what to expect when I got here," Manziel said Sunday, per the team's official Twitter account. "This league has exceeded my expectations as far as talent and what kind of league it is. I'm happy here, right now. I'm looking forward to next season — I'm all in on this team for next year."

The Alouettes played their final game of the 2018 season Saturday but failed to make the playoffs.

The squad finished 5-13 on the season, with Manziel only winning in two of his starts.

He ended the year with 1,290 passing yards, throwing five touchdowns and seven interceptions. While this numbers don't jump out, he expects more success in 2019.

"There were growing pains, but I truly feel like I'll be better...moving forward," he said, per Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette. "I'll be much better next season."

The CFL season represented Manziel's first competitive action since starting six games for the Cleveland Browns in 2015. The 2014 first-round NFL draft pick originally signed a two-year deal with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats but didn't see the field in four games before being traded to Montreal.

His play certainly wasn't good enough to get attention from NFL teams, but he should be able to return to the Alouettes to try for more success in 2019.

Johnny Manziel ended his first season with the Montreal Alouettes on a high note. The former Heisman Trophy winner went 4-of-5 for 59 yards and one touchdown in the first quarter against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Coming into the game, Montreal head coach Mike Sherman intended to get an extended look at backup quarterbacks Antonio Pipkin and, especially, Matt Shiltz to prepare for 2019.

"We want to give a chance to Matt," Sherman told Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette. "During the pre-season, it's very rough on me to have to evaluate our team in two weeks' time. I want to take advantage of this opportunity."

Saturday's abbreviated showing by Manziel was a vast improvement from where he started the season. He went 11-of-20 with 104 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions in a 50-11 loss.

Manziel's touchdown came on a 30-yard pass in which he had all day to throw and put the ball in a spot where Eugene Lewis could overpower Hamilton defensive back Courtney Stephen:

Johnny #Manziel tosses a DEEP pass to Eugene Lewis for a @MTLAlouettes touchdown!! 🔥#CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/0WMJop3o6h

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 3, 2018

In the lead-up to Saturday night, Manziel sounded comfortable about his place in the CFL and wanting to return next season.

"It'll be nice knowing I have someone to come back to, having a routine and really having guys to work with, teammates to talk to," he told Zurkowsky. "It's going to be a good offseason—the first one I've had where I know I'm coming back to football next year. I want to be here."

This was a fitting and full-circle conclusion to what was a unique season for Manziel. He was able to go out on a high note against the team that originally signed him before Montreal acquired him via trade in July. The 25-year-old finished 2018 completing 64.2 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and seven interceptions in eight games.

Considering Manziel hadn't played a professional football game since Dec. 27, 2015, with the Cleveland Browns prior to joining the Alouettes, his stat line isn't nearly as important as just making it through the season without generating any negative headlines for off-field activities.

The Montreal Alouettes fell to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 31-14 at Investors Group Field on Friday night as Johnny Manziel made his first start since suffering a concussion in mid-August. 

Manziel, who drew the start over Antonio Pipkin, finished 18-of-25 passing for 212 yards and one interception and found it hard to find a rhythm in the face of constant pressure from Winnipeg's front. 

Tough night for Johnny Manziel. #CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/KIQPOrdJNA

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 22, 2018

The Blue Bombers (6-7) racked up five sacks against an overwhelmed Alouettes offensive line, and Craig Roh picked up three as he relished the opportunity to send Manziel tumbling to the turf: 

Craig Roh (@craigroh) has a little extra fun sacking #JohnnyManziel 😂#CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/Ho93xYYv4f

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 22, 2018

With big gains through the air largely elusive, Montreal had to get creative in pursuit of a comeback after falling behind 21-6. 

In the third quarter, that meant running a jet sweep throwback to Manziel for a 22-yard pickup: 

#JohnnyManziel and the @MTLAlouettes do a little bit of trickery on offence.#CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/fdTYspFfPd

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 22, 2018

Five players later, Pipkin came in and plunged into the end zone to help cut the deficit to single digits: 

Antonio Pipkin (@T_Pip2) gets into the end zone to get @MTLAlouettes back into the game.#CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/y2dRM1gEl1

— CFL on TSN (@CFLonTSN) September 22, 2018

However, the fireworks stopped there. 

Although Manziel and the Alouettes had a couple chances to knot the proceedings at 21, they couldn't generate the traction necessary to sustain a drive down the stretch. 

Now 3-10, the Alouettes will try to snap a two-game losing streak when they return to the field Sept. 30 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. 

Montreal Alouettes head coach Mike Sherman announced Monday that Johnny Manziel would serve as the team's starting quarterback Friday night against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, according to the CFL's official site.

Per that report, Antonio Pipkin had been operating as the team's starter since Manziel suffered a concussion in August, but after throwing four interceptions against the BC Lions, Pipkin has been demoted in favor of Manziel.

Manziel had been cleared to play for the past two weeks but remained in a backup role, which perplexed the former Texas A&M and NFL quarterback.

"If the club had faith in me, I feel like I would be the guy, I feel like I would've been the guy after I came back from the concussion," Manziel said last week, per the Associated Press. "That hasn't happened, so I need to continue to get out here. And it's the hardest part about missing practice, I need these reps to try to leave as little doubt as possible in my ability to play."

"I hope this organization, I hope the people here haven't lost faith in my ability to play, and I still get a chance to come back and get a chance to be in with the (starters) and play, because that's what I came up here to do and that's what I want to do," he continued.

Manziel's time has come once more for the 3-9 Alouettes, though he didn't exactly tear it up in his first two starts for the team, going 27-of-46 passes with 272 yards and four interceptions in two losses. While Pipkin struggled in his last outing, he was 2-2 overall as the starter.

It's been a revolving door at quarterback for Montreal this year, with six different players getting snaps at the position during the season. Vernon Adams, Drew Willy and Jeff Mathews are currently unavailable for the team while on the six-game injured list.

The hope for the team, after trading for Manziel, was that he would end that quarterback carousel. Now, he's getting a second chance to do so.

Johnny Manziel is ready to return to action for the CFL's Montreal Alouettes but has yet to receive the go-ahead from doctors to get back on the field after suffering a concussion in the Aug. 11 defeat to the Ottawa Redblacks. 

"I feel like I'm just jumping through the necessary hoops as far as concussion protocol," Manziel said on his Barstool Sports podcast Comeback SZN (h/t TMZ Sports). "I wish it was progressing faster."

Manziel finished 16-of-26 for 168 yards in the loss to Ottawa. During a run in the third quarter, he absorbed a big hit at the goal line by Redblacks defensive back Jonathan Rose. Manziel stayed in for the remainder of the game.

The Alouettes placed him in the CFL's concussion protocol Aug. 15, and he missed a 40-24 defeat to the Edmonton Eskimos.

Montreal head coach Mike Sherman was optimistic Manziel would receive medical clearance to return to practice as early as Thursday.

"He's doing better every day," Sherman said, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "I texted him last night [and] he said he felt great. Every day, there's an improvement. Hopefully, tomorrow there's significant improvement and we go from there."

The Alouettes play the Toronto Argonauts at home Friday night.

Montreal Alouettes quarterback Johnny Manziel will reportedly miss the next game against the Edmonton Eskimos due to a concussion, according to Kayce Smith of Barstool Sports. 

The former Cleveland Browns player was placed in the concussion protocol Wednesday as a result of a hit during Saturday's game against the Ottawa Redblacks, according to TSN. Head coach Mike Sherman said Manziel would not be available to play Saturday if he doesn't practice on Thursday.

The team provided updates on the situation through a statement:

"On Tuesday morning, Johnny Manziel mentioned to our medical staff that he felt symptoms that could be associated with the prescribed medication he uses for a previously diagnosed medical condition. He then missed practice in order to have some blood work done. In view of the hit he received on Saturday and the potential mitigating side effects of his prescribed medication, the Alouettes medical staff has placed Manziel under the CFL concussion protocol for further observation and precautionary reasons. Manziel will be closely observed and assessed in the next few days."

SportsCenter provided video of the initial hit:

A Johnny Manziel scramble to the endzone ended with this crushing hit and a fumble at the goal line.

Manziel jogged off the field and would return to the game the following possession. pic.twitter.com/vJf6bYtO7W

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 12, 2018

Manziel didn't miss any plays because of the hit.

The quarterback has had a rough beginning to his career in the Canadian Football League. He didn't play for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats before being traded to Montreal, and he had four interceptions in his first start.

While the former Heisman Trophy winner looked better in his last game, throwing 168 yards, rushing for 36 and throwing zero interceptions, the injury appears to be another setback.

It would have been hard for Johnny Manziel's second CFL start to go worse than the first, and it's clear he's far from ready to make a difference in the NFL.

But as far as improvements go, Manziel demonstrated it Saturday, throwing for 168 yards in the Montreal Alouettes' 24-17 loss to the Ottawa Redblacks. 

Manziel completed 16 of his 26 passes and actually made it through the full game. He was pulled from his first CFL start after throwing four interceptions in the first half against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

"This is a humbling experience," Manziel told reporters after the loss. "I've had this experience in the past and there are two ways you go about this moving forward. One, you can let it get you down and sulk and harm you moving forward. The other way is to take this on the chin like a man and never let this taste creep back in your mouth again and never let it happen again. This will motivate me."

Manziel is still yet to throw a touchdown in three CFL halves, but there were some flashes of the old Johnny Football. He carried the ball three times for 36 yards, including a big 17-yard run that ended in a touchdown after he fumbled and it was recovered by Kristian Matte. 

A Johnny Manziel scramble to the endzone ended with this crushing hit and a fumble at the goal line.

Manziel jogged off the field and would return to the game the following possession. pic.twitter.com/vJf6bYtO7W

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 12, 2018

Perhaps the most important improvement was Manziel not throwing an interception. Montreal held possession for under 24 minutes thanks to a special teams score and its defense being unable to get Ottawa off the field.

Redblacks quarterback Trevor Harris threw for 487 yards and a touchdown, completing 44 of his 54 attempts. Running back William Powell added 104 yards and a touchdown. 

The Alouettes and Manziel have time to figure things out together. Montreal is 1-7 on the season and has no real shot at winning the Grey Cup this season. Manziel can work out the kinks with a team that's clearly at a talent deficiency and hopefully get the rust out of his system in time to make tangible progress.

Given his talent level a few years ago, Manziel should be one of the best quarterbacks in the CFL. Two games in, though, it's clear he's a ways away from making that happen.

Saturday was just more progress.    

Johnny Manziel showed plenty of rust in his first CFL start by going 11-of-20 passing for 104 yards with no touchdowns and four interceptions before being removed in the fourth quarter of the Montreal Alouettes' 50-11 blowout loss against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. 

Anticipation was high for the former Heisman Trophy winner after not playing in a competitive football game since December 27, 2015, with the Cleveland Browns. 

Things unraveled quickly for Manziel when his first pass was picked off by Tiger-Cats linebacker Harry Dean:

Johnny Manziel's first career @CFL pass is an interception.#CFLGameDay #FNF pic.twitter.com/mykB0jZFPZ

— CFL on TSN (@CFLonTSN) August 3, 2018

That was just the beginning of a day that everyone associated with the Alouettes would like to forget. The Tiger-Cats tied a CFL record by scoring 28 points in the first quarter, with 21 of those coming off turnovers.

Things were so bad for Manziel in the first half that he is now on a list of quarterbacks that includes Nathan Peterman:

Rough debut for Johnny Manziel.

Manziel's 4 interceptions are the most in a CFL game this season.

How often does something like this happen in the NFL?

Nathan Peterman is the only QB to throw 4 Int in the 1st half over the last 10 seasons.

That's it. pic.twitter.com/oWHs0I8Pc4

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 4, 2018

Johnny Manziel and Nathan Peterman pic.twitter.com/qC46pgRcuy

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 4, 2018

Prior to the game, Manziel noted he wouldn't be nervous about returning to the starting lineup:

https://twitter.com/ComebackSZNshow/status/1025412472973520898

In that game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Manziel went 10-of-18 for 80 yards with two interceptions and was sacked three times. Looking at the glass half-full, he did have more completions and passing yards Friday. 

Johnny Manziel's debut did not go as planned. pic.twitter.com/c2qpZf9PSC

— ESPN (@espn) August 4, 2018

Manziel was fighting an uphill battle in this game. He's been out of football for three years, starting for a team that entered Friday with the CFL's worst record (1-5) and scored the fewest points in the league (92).

After being named Montreal's starter Wednesday, Manziel acknowledged he still needed more snaps with the first-team offense. 

"It's good to be back in here," he said, per ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert. "I felt like the thing I've been missing, even over the course of this year and a couple years, is reps. And as you guys have seen the last couple days, a chance to get with the 1s and get some reps is what I feel like I really need and what I've talked to a lot of people about."

Despite the overall performance by Manziel, there were occasional moments when he showed off the unique playmaking ability that made him a thrill to watch at Texas A&M:

Johnny scramble. #CFLGameDay #FNF pic.twitter.com/nEVSlPicXm

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 4, 2018

Johnny Manziel records his longest pass of the game so far, a 21-yard completion to Geno Lewis.#CFLGameDay #FNF pic.twitter.com/VYzXEnTbCS

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 4, 2018

CFL players Nik Lewis and Kamar Jorden were watching the game and offered their support for Manziel:

Did I tell u that I feel bad for @JManziel2. This is pro football, if they cared about his career they wouldn't have put him in this situation. They did it to pack the stands. I hope u can grow from this J, I know Ur passionate about playing. #Respect

— Nik Lewis (🐝, 🐝) 1126 (@nikel18) August 4, 2018

Despite everything, you can tell Manziel is just genuinely happy to be on that field man. I appreciate that 🙏🏾

— Kamar Jorden (@justcallmeKJ_) August 4, 2018

This comeback is an ongoing process for Manziel. It would have been a tremendous story if he made an immediate impact in his first start for Montreal, but he's had just 10 days to learn head coach Mike Sherman's offense since being acquired in a trade with the Tiger-Cats on July 23. 

Having more time to work with Sherman and the rest of the coaching staff will increase Manziel's comfort level and his chances of succeeding in the future. 

Former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel is set to make his first CFL start Friday night when his Montreal Alouettes take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Molson Stadium.

Manziel, who was traded from the Ti-Cats to the Alouettes last month, is going to take the reins of the Montreal offense following the team's 1-5 start to the season. It will mark his first professional start since Dec. 27, 2015, with the Cleveland Browns.

OddsShark noted the Als are listed as seven-point underdogs in Friday's contest.

              

Viewing Information

Where: Molson Stadium in Montreal

When: Friday, Aug. 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Watch: TSN (Canada) and ESPN2 (U.S.)

Live Stream: TSN Live (Canada) and WatchESPN (U.S.)

             

Manziel Preview

Manziel quickly rose to prominence at Texas A&M en route to becoming the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy in 2012. His success across two seasons with the Aggies led the Browns to select him with the 22nd overall pick in the 2014 draft.

The Texas native couldn't translate his collegiate success to the NFL level, though. He completed 57 percent of his throws for 1,675 yards with seven touchdown passes and seven interceptions in 14 appearances across two seasons. He added 259 rushing yards and one score on the ground.

Cleveland released Johnny Football in March 2016 following a series of off-field problems.

In February, Manziel told T.J. Holmes of ABC News he started taking medication for bipolar disorder to reduce his dependence on alcohol to deal with depression and said the "goal of this comeback is to get back to the NFL, ultimately."

"I am coming back from a huge downfall," Manziel said. "I don't know what kind of comeback it will be, but I know I want to get back on a football field, to what brought me so much joy in my life."

He added: "I am watching all the other guys doing what I want to be doing, and I am sitting on a couch being a loser."

Manziel took part in The Spring League earlier this year and earned some preseason snaps with the Tiger-Cats before taking on a reserve role behind Jeremiah Masoli when the regular season started.

Now, at age 25, the dual-threat quarterback will receive his most expansive opportunity since being released by the Browns to showcase the playmaking ability that once made him a coveted NFL prospect.

"It's good to be back in here," he told reporters Tuesday. "I felt like the thing I've been missing, even over the course of this year and a couple years, is reps. And as you guys have seen the last couple days, a chance to get with the 1s and get some reps is what I feel like I really need and what I've talked to a lot of people about."

Expectations must be kept within reason, though.

Not only is Manziel making his first pro start in almost three years, but he's taking over an offense that ranks last in the CFL at 15.3 points per game.

In addition, the Hamilton pass defense rates second in the league, giving up an average of just 212.7 passing yards through six contests.

Manziel shouldn't be judged too heavily based on his first start. Alouettes head coach Mike Sherman said after the trade the team "didn't bring him here to have him sit on the bench." So the quarterback will likely see plenty of starts over the remaining 12 games.

Nevertheless, a lot of eyes will be on Johnny Football when he takes the field Friday night in his long-awaited return to a starting lineup.