Johnny Manziel wants to play in the NFL again and he knows he's down to the last of a string of second chances. He revealed last month that he's finally sober and getting treated for a bipolar disorder. Last week, the 2014 Browns first-round pick threw at the University of San Diego's pro day and 13 NFL teams made a point to show up.
And Manziel's comeback tour continues, according to FOX Sports' Bruce Feldman, who tweets that the former Texas A&M quarterback will throw at his alma mater's pro day on Tuesday to draft hopeful Christian Kirk and other Aggies receivers. And just like San Diego, NFL teams are expected to attend.
Johnny Manziel threw today at the University of Sam Diego.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 22, 2018
12 teams in attendance.
38 attempts.
2 misses.
Light rain.
Strong day say those in attendance. pic.twitter.com/A8NAtSO5In
At USD, Manziel went 36 of 40 in a light rain, though if history tells us anything it's that we shouldn't read too much into an offseason shorts-and-T-shirt workout.
FWIW, FYI, ICYMI, Johnny is really good at Pro Days. pic.twitter.com/31Xt3qGtO3
— Freezing Cold Takes (@OldTakesExposed) March 26, 2018
That said, the issue has never been with Manziel's on-field ability but his struggles to avoid trouble off the field. He now says those days are behind him. In a conversation with Feldman earlier this month Manziel conceded that he has to prove that he's changed.
"When I first got in the league, did I have some leeway? Sure I did, but I have exhausted all leeway and all second chances," Manziel said. "This isn't the second chance. This is the 35th chance. This is the last of the last chances to show people that I've made a drastic change in my life, and it's for the better and I'm happy with where I'm at. ...
"[But] until I get into [an NFL] building and I'm able to show that, it's all just talk," he continued. "It's all just me saying that I'm different. Now, I know I am."
Whether Manziel is ever offered an NFL contract is yet to be determined but the fact that teams are showing up to watch him work out can only be taken as a good sign. ESPN's Eric Williams got confirmation that scouts for these 13 teams were in San Diego: Bears, Browns, Chargers, Giants, Chiefs, Jets, Patriots, Raiders, Titans, Lions, Jaguars, Panthers and Bucs.
And CBSSports.com's Jared Dubin broke down each of those teams' current quarterback situation in a previous post:
- Bears: Drafted Mitchell Trubisky at No. 2 last year.
- Browns: Traded for Tyrod Taylor; likely to draft a quarterback No. 1 next month.
- Chargers: Philip Rivers under contract through 2019, but can save $16M by cutting him after 2018.
- Giants: Eli Manning is back; drafted Davis Webb last year; own No. 2 overall pick next month.
- Chiefs: Traded up to draft Patrick Mahomes at No. 10 last year; traded Alex Smith this offseason.
- Jets: Signed Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater; traded up to No. 3, presumably for a quarterback.
- Patriots: Still employ arguably the best quarterback of all time; traded Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy Garoppolo last season.
- Raiders: Recently signed Derek Carr to a five-year, $125 million contract.
- Titans: Marcus Mariota is headed into the final year of his rookie deal, team will presumably pick up his fifth-year option.
- Lions: Recently signed Matthew Stafford to the largest QB contract in NFLhistory.
- Jaguars: Recently signed Blake Bortles to a contract extension.
- Panthers: Cam Newton under contract long-term.
- Buccaneers: Jameis Winston is headed into the final year of his rookie deal, team will presumably pick up his fifth-year option.
If Manziel stays on the straight and narrow and shows he can still play quarterback, it's reasonable to think this list will grow for one simple reason: quarterbacks are hard to find.