Johnny Manziel is giving the Hamilton Tiger-Cats until Jan. 31 to sign him, his agent Erik Burkhardt said in a statement Monday.
Burkhardt called the CFL's negotiation rights system "archaic and restrictive," maintaining that Manziel and his agent will turn their focus to "several other professional options readily avaliable" if no deal is reached.
"So that there will not be any ambiguity in regards to financial expectations, and so the public understands how seriously Johnny is considering this move, I will tell you that we believe 'fair deal' means on par with what Hamilton has paid their QB in recent years, despite not having much on-field success," the statement read.
TSN's Matthew Scianitti tweeted that it sounds a lot like Manziel wants something akin to Zach Collaros' deal that made him the CFL's highest paid player. Collaros made in the $520,000 to $540,000 range in 2017.
Burkhardt also noted that the Tiger-Cats gave him permission to discuss potential trade options with at least one other club.
On Sunday, the Tiger-Cats confirmed they offered the former Hesiman Trophy winner a two-year contract, which Burkhardt described as a placeholder to continue negotiations.
"I'll keep grinding and let Burkhardt work this thing out. I have all the faith in the world in him during his process. One way or another I am getting back on a football field this year. Believe that," Manziel tweeted following the release of the statement.
The 22nd overall pick in 2014 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M by the Cleveland Browns, Manziel has been out of football since the end of the 2015 season.
A native of Tyler, Texas, the 25-year-old Manziel was the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, but saw his pro career slowed by a myriad of personal issues and substance abuse problems.
Late last month, CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie confirmed that the league would approve a contract for Manziel should it be offered.
The full statement can be read below:
"Despite much speculation and several comments from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and CFL, Johnny and I have remained silent and continued to focus on his training and preparation. Due to the tremendous support, Johnny wants to let Hamilton fans know where things stand and that he has been working hard in preparation for his comeback.
As context, the CFL maintains an archaic and restrictive rule, whereby their teams can claim an amateur players' rights, and essentially hold those rights into perpetuity, without any consideration or compensation for the player. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL claimed Johnny's rights when he was a freshman at Texas A&M, and have continued to hold them for over 6 years.
Johnny and I have done our due diligence on the League and team, which has included visiting Hamilton, meeting with CEO Scott Mitchell, as well as multiple meetings and working out for Coach June Jones. All of these interactions have been very positive and served to reinforce Johnny's excitement for coming out to play for the Tiger Cats. Johnny was pleased to have the opportunity to talk ball with Coach Jones, who has publicly shared his belief that Johnny would be a good fit for the team he's trying to field.
As Hamilton has announced, and per the aforementioned restrictive rule requirements, they sent us a place-holder contract in order to maintain Johnny's rights and allow us adequate time to negotiate a deal. During our diligence process and at my request, Hamilton also graciously gave me permission to discuss potential trade options with at least one other club. Johnny and I met with those executives in Texas to discuss their organization and thoughts on Johnny's market and value around the CFL. However, due to Johnny's strong relationship with Coach Jones and Hamilton executive Kent Austin, we've made the decision to deal exclusively with Hamilton and give them until January 31st to work out a fair deal to make him their Quarterback. So that there will not be any ambiguity in regards to financial expectations, and so the public understands how seriously Johnny is considering this move, I will tell you that we believe 'fair deal' means on par with what Hamilton has paid their QB in recent years, despite not having much on-field success. If we cannot reach a deal with Hamilton by this date, we will turn our focus to several other professional options readily available to us.
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