Johnny Manziel will be returning to the football field this spring.
The former NFL first-round draft pick told ESPN he will play a second season for Fan Controlled Football, a 7-on-7 league that plays its season in an indoor facility in Atlanta.
Fan Controlled Football is a blend of an esports and traditional sports environment that allows fans to call plays using its patented technology.
Following Manziel’s two seasons in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns that were overshadowed by off-field controversies, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner didn’t play anywhere for three years before spending two years floating around the Canadian Football League and the Alliance of American Football.
Last year, the 29-year-old landed with the FCF Zappers, where he completed 14 of 27 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 104 yards and two touchdowns, according to his FCF player profile.
Why is Johnny Manziel playing for Fan Controlled Football?
Manziel told ESPN’s Kevin Seifert his formal pro career is over but that playing in the Fan Controlled Football is something “I wanted to do for fun.”
“This is a way to go out and compete and have fun on a way smaller scale,” Manziel said. “I don’t have the drive to play football at a high level anymore. I don’t have a drive to be the best football player anymore that I used to have in my life, and I’m OK with that. I’ve come to terms with what my football career was, and what it is, and now I’m trying to figure out how I can stay entangled in the game, but from a different position.
“(FCF) is not trying to build this on my back and make me be the main focus point. I feel like I’m simply there to help bring a little bit of magic and a little bit of entertainment, but on a way different scale than the past.”
How can you watch Fan Controlled Football?
The 2022 FCF season v2.0 — which they’re calling “Season v2.0” and will feature eight teams, doubling the number from last year — begins April 16. Games can be watched on Twitch, as well as broadcast partners NBCLX, Peacock, and DAZN.