NFL Rumors: Johnny Manziel Has Better Chance Of Returning Than Colin Kaepernick, Reports ‘The Ringer’
Johnny Manziel and Colin Kaepernick are both eyeing a return to the league in the 2018 NFL season. Both quarterbacks have the talent to earn a roster spot in any team in the league, but there are reasons outside of football that are keeping them from getting an offer from a team in need of a signal caller.
Manziel turned off teams before because of his off-the-field antics, while Kaepernick thinks teams are hesitant to sign him because of his political protest. There is no guarantee that both of them will find their way back to the league, but Claire McNear of The Ringer believes that there is chance Manziel would receive an offer first before Kaepernick gets one.
Manziel, the 22nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, has not played since the 2015 NFL season. Before being dropped by the Cleveland Browns, the former Texas A&M standout looked on his way to becoming a regular starter for his team, but his partying habits cost him the roster spot.
The 25-year-old quarterback admitted that he made bad decisions before, but he is ready to prove that he is more matured and ready to lead a team. He participated in the pro days of Texas A&M and the University of San Diego and also drew a lot of attention in the Spring League.
Quarterback guru George Whitfield has been training Manziel over the past several months. Whitfield told Sports Illustrated that the Texas native has turned a corner, which could eventually lead him back to the league. It remains to be seen if he will get a contract soon, but McNear is convinced that he could get one before Kaepernick.
Kaepernick missed last season after not getting a deal following his decision to opt out of his deal with the San Francisco 49ers. He was supposed to have a workout with the Seattle Seahawks, but it was canceled reportedly because the former 49ers star declined to stop kneeling, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
McNear said that if Schefter’s report is true, it is a clear indication that Kaepernick is not getting a contract because of his activism, and not because of question marks about his QB skills. In fact, the 30-year-old had a relatively strong season for a bad team in 2016, when he completed 59.2 percent of his passes for 2,241 yards in 12 games.
Manziel also had the same take last month when he addressed the never-ending comparison between him and Kaepernick. He posted on Twitter that Kaepernick is not being signed because of non-football reasons because he is a quarterback who managed to lead a team to a Super Bowl appearance.
The facts of the matter are the reason he’s not being signed are non football based. The guy took a team to the Super Bowl and continuously wreaked havoc on the NFC West and the league. Maybe he had a bad year two years ago but he’s not a bad player and that’s a fact..
— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) March 24, 2018
