Former Texas A&M quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel was released by the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League on Wednesday.
In a statement the Alouettes claim that Manziel “contravened the agreement that he is eligible to play” in the CFL.
The ex-Browns player is also no longer eligible to play for any clubs in CFL after he violated a condition set by the league prior to his signing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, according to league commissioner Randy Ambrosie. Manziel was set to play one more season for the Alouettes.
“We’re trying to do what we believe is in the best interests of the entire league,” Ambrosie said according to ESPN. “The conditions we set, we thought were the right ones. Those conditions have been violated and we feel it’s best, and Montreal feels its best, to let Johnny move on. And we think it’s best for our league that he do the same. And we wish him well.”
According to ESPN, Montreal General Manager Kavis Reed said that he would not have released Manziel if the CFL had not have mandated the move. Both the Alouettes and the CFL stated that they would not release the specifics of his conditions or what condition he violated.
Manziel took to Twitter after his release from the Alouettes.
I want to thank Coach Sherman, my teammates, and the CFL fans. My time there reestablished my love for the game of football and the work that goes into it. I look forward to exploring new options within the United States.
— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) February 27, 2019
Manziel finished his CFL career with 1,290 yards passing along with 5 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in the eight games he played.