Johnny Manziel Net Worth (Money & Salary)

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

A retired American football player, Johnny Manziel has a net worth of $1 million. He made history as the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy while at Texas A&M and subsequently entered the 2014 NFL draft. Expected to be a top pick due to his Heisman win, his draft stock fell due to rumors surrounding his personal life. Ultimately, the Cleveland Browns selected him as the #22 pick, a decision influenced by a personal phone call he made to the Browns’ quarterbacks coach to assure him of his dedication.

Off-field issues plagued Manziel’s career, including problems with alcohol and a lifestyle of partying. Additionally, he faced suspension from the NFL for breaching the league’s substance abuse policy.

Johnny played in the NFL from 2014 to 2015, completing his career exclusively with the Cleveland Browns. After his NFL tenure, he had a brief stint with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL.

As outlined in the following section, most conservative forecasts suggested Johnny’s potential future earnings—combining both salary and endorsements—could reach $100 million. However, he ultimately made $7.7 million from his salary and approximately $10 million from endorsements, a significant portion of which originated from a contract with Nike that was ultimately terminated.

In a documentary by Netflix released in 2023, Johnny revealed that he engaged in a $5 million “bender” during his most turbulent times.

Contracts & Career Earnings

Johnny was anticipated to earn over $100 million from salary and endorsements had he maintained even a modest performance across an average career in the NFL. Instead, he accrued just $7.7 million in salary and about $10 million from endorsements, resulting in total earnings before tax of $18 million.

His initial NFL contract was a four-year agreement worth $8.25 million with the Browns, which included a signing bonus of $4.3 million.

During his rookie season, Johnny Manziel earned $7 million from his salary, signing bonus, and endorsements. In that season, he managed to throw a total of 175 passing yards, recording zero passing touchdowns but one rushing touchdown. On March 11, 2016, the Cleveland Browns released Johnny after compensating him with $7,707,913 in salary. Over his tenure with the team, he recorded seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.

That total of $7,707,913 became his overall earnings from the NFL.

As mentioned previously, in the 2023 Netflix documentary, Johnny indicated he partook in a $5 million “bender” during and soon after his NFL career. It’s highly plausible that he received a low seven-figure or high six-figure fee for his appearance in the documentary.

Family Wealth

Rumors circulated about Johnny’s connection to a significant oil fortune as he rose to fame as a college athlete. However, this rumor was largely inflated. In his 2023 Netflix documentary, Johnny admitted to embellishing his family’s wealth to mask the income he was generating through autograph sales, which were against NCAA regulations at the time.

That said, it is indeed true that his family has ties to oil wealth.

In 1907, Johnny’s great-great-grandfather, Joe Manziel, immigrated from Syria to the United States.

In 1930, his great-grandfather, Bobby Joe, struck oil in Texas after failing to do so with numerous other wells. This successful endeavor led to several lucrative wells and provided Bobby Joe with a substantial income, sufficient to support the establishment of “The Oil Palace,” a 7,000-capacity music venue in Tyler, Texas. Originally, Bobby Joe envisioned the Palace as a boxing venue.

He passed away in 1956, causing construction to be paused for nearly three decades. Ultimately, the project reached completion and was inaugurated in 1983.

Bobby Joe’s namesake offspring, Bobby Joe Jr., faced arrest in 1975 and was charged with conspiracy related to a murder that same year. Although the murder charges were eventually dismissed, he was found guilty of drug trafficking involving cocaine. Until his passing in 2022, Bobby Joe Jr. managed The Oil Palace.

Johnny’s parents are typical and unpretentious individuals. They worked as bartenders at the time of Johnny’s birth. Johnny’s father, Paul, devoted the majority of his professional life to car sales, running a Honda dealership located three hours away from their residence. For many years, he reportedly returned home only on weekends. Johnny grew up in a standard household in Tyler, Texas, which currently holds an estimated value of $700,000, and his parents continue to live there.

In October 2015, a mysterious fire consumed a $400,000 lake house owned by Johnny’s grandfather, Paul Manziel Sr.

Endorsements

Millions of dollars flowed to Johnny through endorsements during his short-lived NFL career, most notably in partnership with Nike. His endorsements extended to Nissan, McDonald’s, and Panini America.

Prior to entering the NFL draft, where he was still anticipated to be a first-round selection with a promising future, Johnny secured a lucrative multi-year endorsement contract with Nike. Both Under Armour and New Balance also submitted bids to acquire Manziel as an endorser. Sadly, just two years later, in April 2016, after a series of off-field controversies, Johnny found himself dropped by Nike and his management.

Early Life

Born on December 6, 1992, in Tyler, Texas, Jonathan Paul Manziel is of Italian and Lebanese heritage and has a younger sister named Meri. His parents enjoy significant wealth and success primarily due to their investments in the oil and natural gas sectors.

Paul and Michelle Manziel, Johnny’s parents, have achieved tremendous corporate success in the oil industry, reportedly amassing a fortune worth tens of millions, potentially between $50 and $100 million. They first met while bartending; Michelle later transitioned into real estate, while Paul ventured into building homes and automobile sales. Nevertheless, the family’s wealth can be traced back to Bobby Joe Manziel, Johnny’s great-grandfather, who found oil shortly after relocating to Texas in the 1930s.

Growing up, Johnny participated in various sports like football, basketball, baseball, and golf; however, he opted to concentrate on football and baseball during his years at Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas.

Initially, during his freshman year of high school, he played as a receiver but transitioned to quarterback by the fourth game of his sophomore year. As quarterback, he quickly caught the public’s eye with his outstanding statistics; during his senior year, he completed 65.7% of his passes for 3,609 yards, scoring 45 touchdowns against 5 interceptions. His achievements included recognition as the San Antonio Express-News Offensive Player of the Year (twice), being named the National High School Coaches Association Senior Athlete of the Year in Football, and receiving honors as a “Parade” All-American.

Recruitment from several schools, including Baylor, Colorado State, Iowa State, Louisiana Tech, Oregon Rice, Stanford, Tulsa, and Texas A&M, focused on him.

College Career

Choosing Texas A&M to further his education and athletic career, Johnny received an academic scholarship there. Following quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s exit to the NFL after the 2011 season, Texas A&M needed a new starter. Manziel outshined Jameill Showers and Matt Joeckel, securing the role of starting quarterback. He gained significant attention by breaking Archie Manning’s long-standing total offense record during a game against Arkansas and continued to rally impressive performances. After steering Texas A&M to a landmark victory against the top-ranked Alabama team, he began to feature on Heisman Watch lists. In a landmark achievement, he became the first freshman (and only the fifth player in NCAA history) to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. Manziel also made headlines by being the first freshman ever to win both the Davey O’Brien Award and the Heisman Trophy. By the end of his sophomore season at Texas A&M, he placed fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting for 2013.

Professional Career

Deciding to leave behind college football, Manziel opted to skip his junior season at Texas A&M and enter the 2014 NFL Draft. While he was anticipated to be a first-round selection, concerns about his attitude lingered, making several teams hesitant. On the day of the draft, 21 teams, including the Cleveland Browns, passed on him. Ultimately, a text he sent to Browns quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains played a pivotal role in convincing head coach Mike Pettine to select him as the 22^nd overall pick.

Manziel’s stint with the Browns lasted only two seasons, both riddled with challenges. In his rookie year (2014), he was hit with a $12,000 fine by the NFL for an inappropriate hand gesture made during a preseason loss against the Washington Redskins, which consequently led to Brian Hoyer being named the starting quarterback for the season opener. Later, in the 2015 season, Manziel was relegated to the third-string quarterback position after videos of his partying surfaced online. On March 11, 2016, the Cleveland Browns released Manziel, having paid him $7,707,913 in salary. Throughout his time with the team, he managed to throw seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Following his departure from the NFL, he spent two years away from football primarily due to ongoing contract discussions. In 2018, he returned by signing a two-year contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League (CFL). However, after just six weeks as a backup player, he was traded to the Montreal Alouettes that July. Ultimately, the CFL severed connections with Manziel, leading to his release by the Alouettes as ordered by league officials.

In an effort to make a comeback to professional football, Manziel joined the new Alliance of American Football (AAF) in March 2019, where he was assigned to the Memphis Express team. However, the

In April 2019, the league declared bankruptcy without having finished a single season. Currently, Manziel plays for the FCF Zappers in the Fan-Controlled Football indoor league.

Personal Life and Controversies

Engaged to Bre Tiesi in March 2017, Manziel got married in March 2018. Sadly, the couple parted ways after just one year. Bre Tiesi welcomed a child with Nick Cannon in June 2021. In 2023, she became part of the cast for the reality show “Selling Sunset.”

Despite his athletic prowess, Manziel’s career has been overshadowed by various controversies and legal issues. His first arrest occurred in June 2012, even before he made his college football debut. It was reported that he tried to intervene in a conflict involving a friend, only to become embroiled himself, subsequently showing a fake ID to the police. Nonetheless, he was named the starting quarterback for Texas A&M University.

His problematic behavior persisted throughout his college years and into his professional career, gaining notable media scrutiny. Notable incidents include his removal from a University of Texas fraternity party, an NCAA investigation that exonerated him of claims related to payments for autographs, being stopped by police following a physical altercation with then-girlfriend Colleen Crowley in the car, and a 2016 investigation by the Dallas Police Department concerning domestic violence allegations made by Crowley (he faced misdemeanor assault charges later on). His off-field conduct had serious consequences, contributing to the Cleveland Browns ending their association with him, the loss of his Nike sponsorship, and the dismissal of two different agents as clients.

Blaming the Browns

In a 2018 appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show,” Manziel stated that he believes his previous team failed to recognize his deficiencies, particularly regarding his work ethic and drive.

“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 during 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 put it on the market in May 2016 for $489,000 and ultimately sold it for $480,000 in June 2016. He currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona.