It doesn’t sound like Johnny Manziel will be returning to the NFL for at least two years, even if he wants to.
According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Manziel’s two-year CFL contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats does not include any sort of escape clause and is fully binding for the duration. That means Manziel has no route to an NFL return as long as he’s under contract in Canada.
I am also told that Manziel's CFL contract is a 2-year, binding deal. There is no window or escape clause for the NFL in current CFL CBA …
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) May 19, 2018
In other words, get used to seeing Johnny Football in the CFL. Despite all the NFL talk, it’s quite clear that nothing developed there for him and he took his other opportunity. He’ll still be just 27 when his CFL contract is up, though, so if he plays well in Canada and stays out of trouble, an eventual return stateside is not out of the question.
