Johnny Manziel Back Tracks On Bizarre XFL Comments

Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel is apparently no longer interested in playing football, at any level, despite his recent tweets about joining the XFL. On Friday, prior to Week 3 of the XFL season, Manziel tweeted, “I’m Back!!!!” before hitting send on another tweet, offering to take the XFL’s ratings “to another level.”

“Oliver Luck. If ya wanna boost your ratings to another level just send me the contract tomorrow and we’re in there. Like I said YEARS ago… XFL2020 give the people what they want,” Manziel tweeted.

However, Johnny Football insists that he was just messing around.

Wesley Hitt/AAF/Getty Images

Shortly after his tweet started to pickup steam, the former Heisman trophy winner tweeted the following, “Have zero desire to play any football these days. Just love stirring up controversy.” He added, “Love trollin.”

Even if the 27-year old QB was dead serious about playing for the XFL, commissioner Oliver Luck maintains that the league is just fine without him. When asked why guys like Manziel, or former Colts running back Trent Richardson, aren’t currently rostered, Luck explained (H/T Tampa Bay Times):

“I would argue that the players we have are better than those guys, to be honest with you. Johnny has his own history, and we have coaches from the CFL (Canadian Football League) who have seen him close up. I watched Trent when he was with the Colts, and I watched him when he was with the AAF. He was in the draft pool. Coaches and scouts looked at him and didn’t think he was going to help their team. I think the guys we have on our teams are the best 560 that aren’t playing in the National Football League.”

Following his disastrous NFL career, Manziel was given opportunities with the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the now defunct Alliance of American Football (AFL), but it doesn’t look like he’ll get a chance to complete the cycle in the XFL, whether he wants to or not.