Johnny Manziel began his CFL career on the bench last weekend as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats lost their season opener to the Calgary Stampede, 28-14. But don't be fooled by Manziel's lack of playing time; Tiger-Cats coach June Jones says the Browns' 2014 first-round pick should be in the NFL, where he last played in December 2015.

"I've been pleasantly surprised the last three weeks what a good teammate he is, how smart he is, how he sees the game," Jones told ESPN.com's David Newton. "He should be playing in the National Football League, and I believe he will when he gets through with us."

Manziel signed a two-year deal with the Tiger-Cats in May and while he wasn't on the field last weekend, he did appear in two preseason games and went 21-of-32 for 168 yards and a touchdown.

"It'll take two years,'' Jones said of Manziel's NFL comeback. "They're [NFL executives, coaches] waiting to see that he's taken care of his off-the-field problems.''

Manziel competed in the developmental Spring League earlier this year in an effort to show NFL teams that he's matured during his absence from the game.

"The message that I'm sending is showing up every day and going to meetings," he told reporters after his first Spring League game. "Being engaged in everything that is going on during practice and in the game. I can't control what is going on [with NFL teams' interest]..."

Prior to the Spring League, at least 13 NFL teams watched Manziel take part in pro days at the University of San Diego and Texas A&M. But when an NFL offer never came he signed with the Tiger-Cats.

"I think it was close," Manziel told PFT Live last month about an NFL team taking a chance on him. "I did reach out and talk to multiple teams and coaches I had met in my first couple years in the league."

Manziel could have waited to see if there was renewed NFL interest but he decided the sooner he could return to the field the better it would be for his career.

"It was really the wait," he explained. "I didn't want to get into something down the road where I'm waiting until August, waiting until training camps open, and then if something doesn't transpire I'm getting here late."

For now, Manziel's professional journey has taken him to Canada. And his two-year contract means his next shot at returning to the NFL won't come until 2020.