Johnny Manziel has essentially gone into hiding, and a recent social media post from his fiancee Bre Tiesi begs the question: is Johnny Football okay never playing again?
Manziel’s Instagram and social media account went dark long ago, and the only updates that come out of his camp are whispers from NFL insiders and his future wife.
A recent photo of Manziel with Tiesi smiling as they look at each other is making waves, and it’s really starting to look like the Heisman Trophy winner at Texas A&M is okay with hanging up his cleats permanently.
It wasn’t too long ago that Manziel looked like the habitual addict that he was. He was so skinny that it appeared any defensive player could easily snap him in half.
Manziel’s excellence on the field also served as a conduit to a dark place, which is the result of expectations our society places on young and successful people.
Manziel has been training for an NFL comeback, but more importantly he has returned to his normal size and appears to be happy for the first time in several years.
His family is on the wealthier end of the scale, with assets reportedly in the range of around $50 million. Perhaps the reality of the situation is the former Aggies standout sat back, looked in a mirror and realized playing football wasn’t worth it if it came at the price of throwing away his life. He should have enough family money to live comfortably for the rest of his life.
Some will argue that Manziel will serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, arrogance and easy access to plenty of money with little to no supervision. However, maybe down the road we will look back on Manziel and see his story as a cautionary tale about the dangers of making teenagers household names and the expectations placed on young athletes.
Johnny Football might never play again in the NFL, and with the way it appears, he’s more than okay with that.