January 31, 2018

Ticats say no deal imminent with Johnny Manziel

The Associated Press

HAMILTON — It remains one of the most talked-about stories of the CFL off-season, and so far the Johnny Manziel saga has no sign of an end.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats put out a statement on Wednesday night, revealing that no deal is imminent between the team and the former Texas A&M star:

“While the discussions with Johnny Manziel and his representative have been very cordial and informative, there is nothing imminent and nothing to report. We will continue to do our due diligence and will have no further public comment on the matter as we move forward.”

That’s a bit of a turn from earlier this week, when Ticats head coach June Jones took to Twitter and hinted that a decision could come this week.

Wednesday’s statement comes on the same day as the Jan. 31 deadline set by Manziel and his agent earlier this month.

Earlier in the day, TSN’s Farhan Lalji reported that the two sides are far apart. But Manziel appeared to deny the report in a cryptic tweet.

An important date on the Ticats’ off-season calendar arrives in two weeks, when free agency opens on Feb. 13 — with or without Manziel on the team.

Jeremiah Masoli is the team’s projected starter going into 2018, but Manziel could challenge the incumbent should be sign.