Quarterback Johnny Manziel wasn’t the answer the Hamilton Tiger-Cats were looking for, but perhaps his new Canadian Football League team can give him the playing time needed for a more successful comeback .
Manziel, who did not see one snap on the regular season with Hamilton, was traded to the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday for two all-stars and two first-round draft picks.
He was No. 2 on the depth chart behind Jeremiah Masoli. But unable to win the starting job, the 25-year-old Texan, who was the first freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy, was shipped off to Montreal, who are currently 1-4 in the standings, good for last place in the East and tied for worst record overall in the CFL.
The Alouettes were 18/1 to win the Grey Cup, last of the nine teams in the league. Winning only one of its first six games saw their odds go to 100/1. Manziel’s trade did bring a little optimism from oddsmakers, who dropped the odds to 80/1.
Montreal’s Hail Mary
The team is hosting the Edmonton Eskimos on Thursday, but don’t expect to see Manziel under center. He has only been able to practice with the team for three days, and head coach Mike Sherman told ESPN that isn’t enough time to get him game ready.
“This is quite a short week,” Sherman said. “We’ll just see how the week plays out. I don’t want to put added pressure on him and I want everybody else to get ready to play. We’ll just play it out during the course of the week.”
That doesn’t mean Sherman intends for Manziel, who has designs to return to the NFL, to languish on the sidelines.
“We didn’t bring him here to have him sit on the bench,” Sherman said.
Manziel said he is ready whenever Sherman calls on him.
“I feel confident in the abilities I’m bringing to this team,” Manziel said. “It is a team sport so it’s going to take each and every person to go out there and be successful on game day. I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”
Familiarity Breeding Success?
Sherman and Manziel have ties that go back to college. Sherman was the coach at Texas A&M and recruited Manziel out of high school to come play for the Aggies in 2011. Sherman was fired at the end of the year. Manziel won the Heisman Trophy the following season.
It could be the perfect fit. Montreal’s current quarterback situation is a trio of signal callers, none of which have been effective. Willy Drew, Jeff Mathews, and Matt Shiltz have collectively thrown five touchdowns and four interceptions.
“I believe that when I’m ready, they’ll give me a chance,” Manziel said. “Until then, I’m going to continue to come in and work like I need to work to try to catch up at a rapid pace.”
If Manziel is installed as the starter, he will have 14 games to turn the team around. He has no doubts he will be able to do that, though leading a last-place team to the Nov. 25th Grey Cup might be difficult.
“I don’t expect to come in here right away and have everything figured out,” Manziel said. “But at the end of the day I know Coach Sherman and I trust Coach Sherman and the leader he is to put me in a good situation.”
