Why Did the CFL Ban Johnny Manziel?

The conclusion to Johnny Manziel’s career in the CFL is as unceremonious as it is mysterious.

The league instructed the Montreal Alouettes to release Manziel after he violated the terms of his contract, the league announced on Wednesday. When Manziel signed, he had conditions in his contract, which remained undisclosed. Manziel broke one of those rules, and he is now banned from the CFL. And apparently, Montreal did its best to avoid this outcome.

“We worked with the league and presented alternatives to Johnny, who was unwilling to proceed,” Alouettes general manager Kavis Reed said in a statement on Wednesday.

In other words, Manziel was noncompliant on many levels. He broke an (undisclosed) rule, and then was unwilling to make (also undisclosed) concessions after his transgression.

The troubled quarterback is once again out of a job. For now, we have no idea why his latest — and probably last — chance has come to an end. But hey, maybe the AAF or XFL will be interested in Manziel, who seems entirely undeserving of another chance.

Manziel, a standout at Texas A&M and a Browns’ first-round pick, had an up-and-down career in Cleveland on the field before getting entrenched in legal troubles off the field. He was charged in a domestic abuse suit involving his former girlfriend. Those charges were eventually dismissed.

Combining Manziel’s legal troubles and his latest issue with the CFL, it’s impossible seeing him back in the NFL. In all likelihood, the details of Manziel’s ban will emerge and further tarnish his already bad reputation.