Johnny Manziel Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Johnny Manziel’s Net Worth and Career Earnings?

Johnny Manziel, a retired American football player, holds a net worth of $1 million. Following his victory of the Heisman Trophy at Texas A&M, becoming the first freshman to achieve this, Johnny entered the NFL draft in 2014. Expectations for him were high as a Heisman winner, with predictions suggesting he could be a top pick, possibly even the #1 pick. Sadly, concerns about his personal issues led to a significant drop in his draft position, resulting in the Cleveland Browns selecting him as the #22 pick after he personally reached out to their quarterbacks coach to assure them of his dedication.

Throughout his career, Manziel faced numerous off-field challenges, including issues with alcohol and partying. He also faced a suspension from the NFL due to a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.

Playing in the NFL from 2014 to 2015, Johnny spent his entire professional career with the Cleveland Browns. After his time in the NFL, he had a short stint with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL.

In the following section, we present that estimates of Johnny’s future earnings potential—considering both salary and endorsements—were around $100 million. Ultimately, he earned a total of $7.7 million in salary and approximately $10 million through endorsements, a significant portion of which was from a contract with Nike that was later canceled.

In a Netflix documentary released in 2023, Johnny revealed that during his most tumultuous period, he had gone on a “bender” that cost him $5 million.

Contracts & Career Earnings

Johnny had been anticipated to earn more than $100 million in endorsements and salary had his performance been average over a typical NFL career. Instead, he achieved only $7.7 million in salary and around $10 million in endorsements, summing up to total career earnings before taxes of $18 million.

His inaugural NFL contract was a four-year deal worth $8.25 million with the Browns, which featured a signing bonus of $4.3 million.

During his rookie year, encompassing salary, signing bonus, and endorsements, Johnny Manziel made $7 million. In that season, he recorded 175 passing yards without any passing touchdowns but did manage one rushing touchdown. On March 11, 2016, he was released by the Cleveland Browns, having earned $7,707,913 in salary. While with the team, Manziel threw seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Ultimately, the figure of $7,707,913 became Johnny’s total earnings from his NFL career.

As mentioned earlier, in the aforementioned 2023 Netflix documentary, Johnny claimed he spent $5 million during a “bender” during and right after his time in the NFL. It is likely he received a substantial fee in the low to mid-six figures for his participation in the documentary.

Family Wealth

A rumor surfaced while Johnny was gaining fame as a college athlete, alleging he came from a significant oil fortune. In reality, this rumor was largely exaggerated. As he expressed in his Netflix documentary from 2023, he inflated his family’s wealth to mask the income he was earning through autograph sales, which was against NCAA rules at that time.

Nevertheless, it is accurate that there are ties to oil wealth in his family history.

His great-great-grandfather, Joe Manziel, immigrated from Syria to the United States in 1907.

Johnny’s great-grandfather, Bobby Joe, struck oil in Texas in 1930 after initially drilling many unsuccessful wells. His successful well led to multiple others and generated sufficient income for Bobby Joe, enabling him to fund “The Oil Palace,” a music venue in Tyler, Texas, capable of hosting 7,000 people. Originally, Bobby Joe envisioned it as a boxing venue; he passed away in 1956, and construction was stalled for nearly 30 years before its completion in 1983.

Son of Bobby Joe, Bobby Joe Jr., was arrested in 1975 for conspiracy linked to a murder case; while the murder charges were dropped, he faced convictions related to cocaine trafficking. Bobby Joe Jr. managed The Oil Palace until his death in 2022.

Johnny’s parents, who were bartenders when he was born, live a humble and ordinary life. His father, Paul, spent a significant portion of his career as a car salesman, managing a Honda dealership located three hours away from their home, often only returning on weekends. Johnny grew up in a regular house in Tyler, Texas, which is currently valued at around $700,000, and his parents still reside there.

A mysterious fire destroyed a lake house valued at $400,000, owned by Johnny’s grandfather, Paul Manziel Sr., in October 2015.

Endorsements

Throughout his short career in the NFL, Johnny amassed millions in endorsements, primarily through Nike. He also had deals with brands like Nissan, McDonald’s, and Panini America.

Before he entered the NFL draft, while still anticipated to be a first-round selection with a lengthy career ahead, Johnny secured a multi-year endorsement agreement with Nike, worth millions. Competing brands, Under Armour and New Balance, also attempted to sign him. However, in April 2016, just two years later, Nike severed ties with Johnny amidst a slew of off-field scandals.

Early Life

Born on December 6, 1992, in Tyler, Texas, Jonathan Paul Manziel hails from Italian and Lebanese ancestry and has a younger sister named Meri. His parents are quite successful and affluent due to their investments in the oil and natural gas sectors.

JohnnyManziel’s parents, Paul and Michelle, are reputedly worth tens of millions, ranging between $50-100 million. They first met while bartending; subsequently, Michelle transitioned to real estate, and Paul became involved in home construction and car sales. However, the family’s wealth primarily stems from Johnny’s great-grandfather Bobby Joe Manziel, who discovered oil in Texas in the 1930s.

During his upbringing, Johnny excelled in various sports such as football, basketball, baseball, and golf; however, he chose to specialize in football and baseball while enrolled at Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas.

Initially, as a freshman, Johnny played receiver before transitioning to quarterback in the fourth game of his sophomore year. His exceptional performance as a quarterback captured attention quickly; in his senior year, he completed 65.7% of his passes for 3,609 yards, recording 45 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions. Among his numerous accolades were being named the Offensive Player of the Year by the San Antonio Express-News twice and recognition from the National High School Coaches Association.

Recognized as the Athlete of the Year in Football and also an All-American by “Parade,” he drew recruitment interest from numerous schools, including Baylor, Colorado State, Iowa State, Louisiana Tech, Oregon Rice, Stanford, Tulsa, and Texas A&M.

College Career

Choosing Texas A&M to play college football, Johnny earned an academic scholarship. Following quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s exit to the NFL after the 2011 season, Texas A&M had an opening for a quarterback. Manziel outshone Matt Joeckel and Jameill Showers, securing the starting quarterback position. His breakout moment came when he shattered Archie Manning’s 43-year-old total offense record in a game against Arkansas, which led to more consistent recognition. After orchestrating Texas A&M’s victory over top-ranked Alabama, Manziel appeared on Heisman Watch lists. He made history as the first freshman (and only the fifth player ever) in NCAA history to surpass 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a season. Furthermore, he was the inaugural freshman to win both the Davey O’Brien Award and the Heisman Trophy. In his sophomore year, he placed fifth in the 2013 Heisman Trophy voting.

Professional Career

Deciding to forgo his junior season at Texas A&M, Manziel entered the 2014 NFL Draft. While speculated to be a first-round selection, doubts about his attitude lingered, leading many teams to hesitate. On draft day, 21 teams, including the Cleveland Browns, bypassed Manziel until a text sent to Browns quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains swayed head coach Mike Pettine to draft him as the 22^nd overall pick.

Manziel’s tenure with the Browns lasted only two tumultuous seasons. In his rookie year (2014), the NFL fined him $12,000 for an obscene gesture during a preseason game against the Washington Redskins, which resulted in Brian Hoyer being named the starting quarterback for the season opener. The following year, videos of him partying led to his demotion to third-string quarterback. On March 11, 2016, the Cleveland Browns released Manziel, having paid him $7,707,913 in salary. Throughout his stint, he recorded seven touchdown passes against seven interceptions.

After a two-year hiatus from professional football largely due to ongoing contract discussions, Manziel made a comeback in 2018 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League (CFL). However, he spent just six weeks on the bench before he was traded to the Montreal Alouettes in July 2018. Ultimately, the CFL severed connections with him, leading to his release by the Alouettes on the orders of league officials.

Seeking to re-enter professional football, Manziel signed with the newly formed Alliance of American Football (AAF) in March 2019, joining the Memphis Express. Unfortunately, the league declared bankruptcy in April 2019 before completing a single season. Currently, Manziel is signed with the FCF Zappers in the Fan-Controlled Football indoor league.

Personal Life and Controversies

In March 2017, Manziel became engaged to Bre Tiesi, and they tied the knot in March 2018. Regrettably, their marriage lasted only a year. By June 2021, Bre Tiesi welcomed a child with Nick Cannon. In 2023, she joined the cast of the reality show “Selling Sunset.”

Despite his athletic talent, Manziel’s career has been overshadowed by numerous controversies and legal issues. His first brush with the law occurred in June 2012, even before playing a single college game. Allegedly, he intervened in a friend’s altercation, which led to his involvement, and he subsequently showed a fake ID to the police. Nevertheless, he was still named Texas A&M’s starting quarterback.

His problematic behavior persisted throughout college and into the professional arena, attracting considerable media scrutiny. Notable incidents include being ejected from a fraternity party at the University of Texas, an NCAA investigation for allegedly accepting payment for autographs (from which he was cleared), being pulled over for a dispute with ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley in the vehicle, and a 2016 Dallas Police Department investigation concerning domestic violence allegations by Crowley (resulting in his indictment on misdemeanor assault charges). His off-field antics had serious ramifications, including the Cleveland Browns severing ties, losing a sponsorship deal with Nike, and two different agents terminating their contracts with him.

Blaming the Browns

In a 2018 appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show,” Manziel attributed his failures to his former team, emphasizing their inability to recognize his shortcomings, particularly regarding his motivation and work ethic.

“If Cleveland did any of their homework, they would have known I wasn’t a guy who came in every day and watched film,” Manziel stated on the show. “I wasn’t a guy who really knew the X’s and O’s of football.“

Real Estate

In May 2009, Johnny acquired a home in Avon, Ohio, for $400,000. He listed this property for $489,000 in May 2016, eventually selling it for $480,000 in June 2016. Currently, he resides in Scottsdale, Arizona.