Johnny Manziel, the former Heisman Trophy winner and Browns quarterback, appears to have interest in the new XFL, slated to be restarted in 2020 by Vince McMahon.
Johnny Manziel might want to play in the XFL, but according to Vince McMahon’s rules, he can’t
McMahon says players with arrest records can’t play in his league. Manziel’s been arrested.
Manziel, 25, was the 22nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft. He appeared in 15 games over two seasons in Cleveland and was underwhelming in them. He hasn’t played since. In 2017, he said he was interested in coaching college football. He’s talented enough to play in any league in the world, but off-field issues have kept him out of the sport.
McMahon said the “quality of human being” will be key in his new league. He said players with arrest records won’t be allowed in.
“You want someone who does not have any criminality whatsoever associated with them. And in the XFL, even if you have a DUI, you will not play in the XFL,” McMahon said on a conference call with reporters, in response to a question that named Manziel.
In 2016, Manziel was indicted on an assault charge in an alleged domestic incident with his now-former girlfriend. That charge, a misdemeanor, was later dismissed. Manziel wasn’t arrested in that case, but he was arrested on a fake ID charge in college. He later pleaded guilty to giving a false ID to police.
It’s not clear if McMahon would try to bar Manziel over any off-field behavior.
McMahon insists the football will be better in this XFL than it was in the last one, which died out after its lone season of play in 2001.
“The quality of the play, quite frankly, we only had a very short time in the past to put everything together. We have two years now to really get it right.”
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