Johnny Manziel rose to fame while playing football, but his issues off the field led to him leaving the sport and taking a break from the public eye.
Manziel got his start playing college football for the Texas A&M Aggies — going on to become the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 2014 NFL draft but his personal issues — including drug use — led to him being released one year later.
The athlete subsequently didn’t get signed by another team amid issues such as substance abuse, mental health issues and being accused of domestic violence following an incident with his ex Colleen Crowley. Manziel spent two years away from football before he returned in 2018 to play with the Tiger-Cats of the CFL. He was traded to the Alouettes and then was released one year later and rendered ineligible to play.
As his football career came to an end, Manziel largely stayed out of the spotlight. He addressed his fall from grace in Netflix’s 2023 Untold documentary. He then elaborated on the issues he had faced during season 4 of Special Forces
“After I got my most success and won the Heisman Trophy as a freshman, I think I just got treated differently,” Manziel shared on a September 2025 episode of the competition show. “I lost a huge part of my work ethic [and] I gave up on a real opportunity, a football career, and walked away from it pretty quick.”
Keep scrolling at a glimpse into Manziel’s life since his time on the field:
How Did Johnny Manziel Become a Household Name?
Manziel’s career kicked off when he was the quarterback for Texas A&M University. After earning a Heisman Trophy in 2012, Manziel’s star was on the rise and he ultimately signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2014.
Manziel’s work on the field was quickly overshadowed by misconduct and personal issues. He was released from the Browns and he became involved with alternative football leagues such as the Canadian Football League and the Alliance of American Football.
What Led to Johnny Manziel’s Departure From the NFL?
Some of Manziel’s infractions included giving an opposing team the middle finger, which resulted in a $12,000 fine. He was seen partying in Las Vegas when he was meant to be at practice and the Dallas police reopened a criminal investigation into Manziel following allegations of assault and domestic violence of his ex-girlfriend Crowley.
Manziel was indicted on misdemeanor assault charges in 2016 — by which point the Browns had already released him from the team. (The charges were dismissed after he agreed to complete an anger management class, attend a domestic violence impact panel and participate in the NFL’s substance-abuse program.)
“I want to make sure we all understand that that behavior will not be tolerated as we move forward,” Browns head coach Hue Jackson said at the time. “I want to leave it at that. Our organization is going to take a stand, and we’re going to move on from those kind of situations as we move forward.”
What Has Johnny Manziel Said About His Mental Health Issues?
Manziel told ESPN in 2018 that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. “That’s the scary thing about my mental health: If I don’t continuously take care of it and make it the biggest priority in my life, I’m going to struggle,” Manziel told USA Today at the time. “That’s hard to say. You’re making mental health a priority over your job? Well, there is no job without my mental health. There is no life and there is no family for me without my head.”
In Netflix’s 2023 Untold documentary, Manziel revealed he attempted to take his own life after several public scandals.
“When I had gotten everything I’d ever wanted, I think I was the most empty that I ever felt inside. I think I was trying to suppress how I felt and get out of being Johnny Football,” he said at the time. “[I] had bought a gun that I knew I was going to use. I had planned to do everything that I wanted to do at that point in my life, spend as much money as I possibly could, and then my plan was to take my own life.”
Manziel referred to himself on Special Forces as a person who “doesn’t realize” his mistakes “until it’s too late,” adding, “Looking back, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to live with the shame and the regret. It got to a point where, you know, I didn’t want to live and I did want to end my life.”
Flag on the play. From Tom Brady’s Deflategate to Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protests, the NFL has been at the center of several controversies through the years. In 2016, Kaepernick sparked debates among both fans and fellow players when he didn’t stand for the national anthem before taking the field with the San Francisco 49ers. […]
What About Johnny Manziel’s Personal Life?
Manziel was married to Bre Tiesi from 2018 to 2021. They reunited on season 8 of Selling Sunset to unpack their ups and downs.
“I still feel bad to this day about treating you like that,” he told Tiesi about their high-profile split. “Getting divorced — after we broke up — was one of the hardest points in my life. I cried, I begged and I pleaded.”
Manziel clarified that he had no regrets about how things played out.
“Life goes the way it is supposed to go. You are in a position now where you got exactly what you wanted in life. And I’m proud of you for that and I’m happy for you. I learned a lot about what I handled wrong,” he said. “I was a lost, depressed kid running around The Hollywood Hills getting drunk every night and living in a nightclub.”
Manziel subsequently took his romance with Josie Canseco public in April 2024 but they called it quits the following year.
Has Johnny Manziel Appeared in Any Projects Recently?
In addition to Netflix’s Untold and Selling Sunset, the former NFL star launched a new podcast series “Glory Daze” with Almost Friday Media.
Manziel later joined season 4 of Special Forces. He used his time on the show to discuss the work he has been putting into himself — including spending “a lot of time on the golf course” ever since leaving football behind.
“This will be my first real test of putting myself in a situation where you face that kind of physical challenge,” he shared in September 2025.
