Although just about everyone had written off his once-promising football career, Johnny Manziel will be back playing professional football in 2018. No, the Cleveland Browns aren't bringing him back. They might want to consider it themselves though as they are about to go 0-16 this season.

Instead, "Johnny Football" will be taking his talents, north of the border, to the Canadian Football League.

It had been a long and winding road as Manziel was claimed by a CFL team prior to this season, but was unable to play due to a commissioner's exemption.

The commissioner felt Manziel truly needed to prove that he deserves to be a part of the league and that his past transgressions were behind him.

It appears that he has done just that as he will be free to work out a contract and have a chance to play next season for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The CFL did their due diligence

Stressing that he needed to see tangible progress and personal growth from Manziel, commissioner Randy Ambrosie initially ruled that Manziel would be unable to play. A sort of indefinite suspension that gave the CFL extra time to really see what Manziel's dedication level would be.

It was previously known how flailing out with the Cleveland Browns affected Manziel. He was seen looking incredibly out of shape and at times possibly even on drugs.

There were ample concerns that his partying lifestyle was catching up with him and he needed to get his life in order before even thinking about football.

Ambrosie met with Manziel in September, formally, to gauge his interest and see where he was at mentally. Ambrosie came away from the meeting impressed but noted that Johnny still had a ways to go.

Fast forward several months and it seems Manziel has done all the right things.

Will he be back in the NFL?

An intriguing question is whether this will ultimately propel Manziel back into the NFL someday. He failed so bad at Cleveland that many GM's wouldn't give him a second look, regardless of how he has turned himself around.

Then again, he did play for the most dysfunctional franchise in the league when it comes to developing quarterbacks.

A strong performance up north would definitely have some teams considering his return. In a league where elite quarterback play can be hard to find, Manziel dominating like he did in college at Texas A&M could be enough to get him another shot.

A change of scenery might suit him, as he is showing his dedication and humility by playing in the CFL. Remember, guys like Robert Griffin III were too good to make the move when their NFL prospects dried up and now sit at home waiting for a call that may never come.
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