Although the NFL is still months away from the regular season, the 2018 CFL season gets ready to kick off next Saturday. Among the notable players making their debut north of the border is former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel.
Manziel saw some action in the preseason as a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Despite a little bit of rust, head coach June Jones is pleased with what he has seen from his new quarterback, via the Associated Press:
“You saw him out there. He’s still a little rusty,” Tiger-Cats coach June Jones said. “But he’s a competitor. He knows what’s going on. He’s seeing what’s going on. He’s able to execute real quickly. You guys can see what he can do. He can make a difference. I think he’s going to be a very good player in this league.”
This is Manziel's first few games of competitive football since the end of his tumultuous tenure in Cleveland during the 2015 campaign. That said, some rust was to be expected after sitting out for such a long period of time. Fortunately, he still managed to show some flashes of potential thus far as the backup to former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli.
Manziel finished the preseason finale 12-of-20 for 88 yards and a touchdown in a 30-15 win over the Montreal Alouettes. However, he admits that there is still plenty of more work to do.
“By no means is it perfect, or close to perfect, but there are some flashes, things I know and feel comfortable with,” Manziel said. “There are things that I should hit on the field that I missed today. That’s just part of trying to get better and get back in a feel of playing ball every day, week in and week out. Any time I’m getting in and getting reps and getting a chance to take live reps like today, that’s a positive day.”
It is encouraging to see that Manziel has seemingly done his part to earn favor with his new head coach and the team. He made it clear when he announced his comeback that the ultimate goal was to return to the NFL. It may seem like a stretch given how things ended the first time around.
That said, Manziel is going to have to do much more in order to prove he has matured since then. Things like being a good teammate and leader will undoubtedly go a long way for teams potentially interested in his services. For now, he must prove that he is more than capable of dominating in the CFL.
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