Agent: Manziel wants Ticats deal comparable to recent QB's contract
If Johnny Manziel is going to make the jump to the CFL, he wants to be paid accordingly.
Erik Burkhardt, the agent representing Manziel, confirmed Monday that the Hamilton Tiger-Cats had sent his client an offer. Burkhardt added that he and Manziel both believe the salary the quarterback receives in any deal should be comparable to that of a recent Tiger-Cats pivot.
"So that there will not be any ambiguity in regards to financial expectations, and so the public understands how seriously Johnny is considering this move, I will tell you that we believe 'fair deal' means on par with what Hamilton has paid their QB in recent years, despite not having much on-field success," Burkhardt's said in a statement obtained by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The quarterback Burkhardt's referring to is likely Zach Collaros, who spent the previous four seasons in Steeltown and was recently traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. As a member of the Tiger-Cats last season, Collaros was the highest-paid player in the CFL, with a base salary of $520,000, Justin Dunk of The Hamilton Spectator reported in August.
Manziel later addressed his agent's statement via Twitter, declaring he'll be back on the field somewhere in 2018.
I’ll keep grinding and let @ErikBurkhardt work this thing out. I have all the faith in the world in him during this process. One way or another I am getting back on a football field this year. Believe that
— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) January 9, 2018
The Tiger-Cats have also granted Manziel and his representation permission to discuss potential trade options with at least one other team, according to Burkhardt. Manziel's team has given the Tiger-Cats a deadline of Jan. 31 to agree to a deal before they seek other opportunities.