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Despite Manziel’s Tweets, Odds Say QB Won’t Be on XFL Roster in 2020

David Golokhov

by David Golokhov in XFL

Updated Apr 15, 2020 · 12:05 PM PDT

Johnny Manziel in college.
Will we see Johnny Manziel in an XFL uniform in 2020? Photo by Shutterbug459 (Wikimedia).
  • Johnny Manziel tweeted at XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck, indicating that he had interest in playing in the league.
  • Manziel quickly deleted his account after the tweet.
  • Although this is another bizarre Manziel situation, is he a good bet to join the XFL this season?

Johnny Manziel is back in the news as it looks like he’s angling to get a job with the XFL. The troubled quarterback flamed out of the NFL and CFL before having a cup of coffee with the AAF, but is there a chance that he ends up joining the XFL in 2020? Let’s take a closer look at the odds.

Johnny Manziel XFL Odds

Will Johnny Manziel Be On An XFL Roster In 2020? Odds
Yes +170
No -250

Odds taken Feb. 22nd

Manziel Tweets At Oliver Luck, Deletes Tweet

It seems like Manziel can’t do anything without controversy – including a simple request to play in the XFL. Of course, he probably could have just applied like any other normal player but instead, he decided to make his interest known via Twitter.

He tweeted at Oliver Luck – the league’s commissioner – that he was essentially looking for a role with the league. And then, just a short time later, not only was the tweet deleted, the entire account was deleted.

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On the plus side, it might mean that the league reached out and said “hey, let’s get a deal done but let’s not do it on social media”. What’s more likely is that Manziel – or someone in his team – realized that if he’s serious, this is not the approach to take. We’ve had no clarification from his team.

It looks like he still lacks the maturity to really put in the work and hone his craft.

Manziel Hasn’t Looked Great

Although Manziel was an unquestioned star in college football, it’s time to realize that he really hasn’t looked good as a player in a long time. He struggled in his rookie season in 2014 with the Cleveland Browns, and was just OK in the six starts he made it through in 2015. From there, he started to really nosedive.

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We didn’t see him play football again until the CFL took him in for the 2018 season but that stint only lasted eight games. And when we saw him get a somewhat extensive look in the AAF last year, he wasn’t very good. There’s not a lot to get excited about.

XFL Quarterbacks Have Struggled

There’s no question that we’re seeing some shoddy play at the position. Guys like Taylor Cornelius, Aaron Murray, Matt McGloin, Josh Johnson and Brandon Silvers have not looked good. However, inserting Manziel into someone’s lineup doesn’t necessarily equate to an upgrade.

To start, Manziel has proven to be more trouble than he’s worth. Secondly, the XFL teams are already struggling with team chemistry since they had such a short offseason and no preseason games. How useful will it be to inject a player who didn’t even want to join at the inception? We don’t even know if he’s in playing shape.

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The XFL has plenty of options at quarterback as they can look at CFL castoffs, college players who might not feel like they have a good shot at the NFL Draft or maybe sift through whatever the Arena Football League left behind. Manziel is merely a short-term ratings boost for a week or two until people again realize he’s not very good.

What’s The Best Bet?

At this point, I’d bet on ‘No’ for Manziel joining the XFL this season because the league seems to be doing fine without him. A telling sign is the sellout crowd in St. Louis that’s expected for this week’s game.

Johnny Manziel Rehab Odds

Will Johnny Manziel Check Into Rehab In 2020? Odds
Yes +400
No -700

As for his rehab, it’s hard to say what he’s up to or what he’s doing these days, so I’ll bet ‘No’ there too.

Since he’s not in any league right now, he’s not compelled to go to rehab or do anything. He can party or live whatever life he’s been living without any league dictating.

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