There's a new game in town. By that I mean there's a new pro football league starting up in the spring and former Cleveland Browns QB Johnny Manziel has signed a deal to be part of it. The Fan Controlled Football League is just that, fan controlled. The fans call the shots including the uniforms, logos and play calling. Sounds like a video game right? Actually it's 7-on-7 full contact football played on a 50-yard field with all games taking place at a special facility in Atlanta. Each 60 minute game will be live-streamed. The FCF league has already reached agreements with players with CFL, XFL, NFL and Division 1 college football. Select players, including Manziel, will be mic'd up with a live camera streaming from his helmet.
Until this new venture, Manziel , now 28 years old, was retired from football. After his Heisman Trophy winning career at Texas A&M he was selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft by The Cleveland Browns. Manziel started eight games in two seasons with the Browns chalking up a 2-and-6 record. He was released after the 2015 season. He later played for Hamilton and Montreal in the Canadian Football League. He also spend time in Memphis in the Alliance of American Football before the league folded.
Manziel said via TMZ "the opportunity to join the FCF was too good to pass up". Manziel will likely play for The Zappers since Manziel is friends with the owner Bob Menery. The other three teams in the FCF are the Beasts (owned by NFL star Marshawn Lynch), The Wild Aces and The Glacier Boys. The league, founded in 2017, will begin play in March of 2021. The league has yet to hold its draft.