Earlier this month, the CFL extended a 10-day window for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to sign quarterback Johnny Manziel in order to “facilitate a process of evaluation for the player.”
That window has been extended through the end of November, but any contract Manziel signs will not be for the 2017 season. The CFL released a statement announcing Commissioner Randy Ambrosie’s decision that the league will not register a contract for Manziel this year.
“After an extensive process of due diligence and an in-person meeting with Mr. Manziel, the Commissioner has decided that he will not register any contract for Mr. Manziel for this season. However, Mr. Manziel will be eligible to sign a contract for the 2018 season and, if Mr. Manziel meets certain conditions that have been spelled out by the Commissioner, the CFL will register that contract. The specifics of those conditions are confidential and will not be disclosed. The CFL has extended the stay on the expiry of the 10-day window for Mr. Manziel until Nov. 30, 2017 and therefore Mr. Manziel will remain on Hamilton’s negotiation list until that date.”
Manziel triggered the opening of the window after working out for Hamilton, although the team’s vice president of football operations Kent Austin said they were “not interested in signing Johnny right now.” We’ll see if anything changes given the extended timeline for Manziel’s potential return.
