Johnny Manziel Net Worth (Money & Salary)

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

Johnny Manziel, a retired American football player, boasts a net worth of $1 million. After making history as the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy at Texas A&M, he entered the NFL draft in 2014. Expectations were high for him to be among the top picks, possibly even the first overall pick. However, his draft stock fell due to rumors surrounding personal issues. Ultimately, he was selected as the #22 pick by the Cleveland Browns, convincing their quarterbacks coach of his dedication through a personal call.

His career faced challenges, primarily due to off-field problems, including alcohol issues and a penchant for partying. The NFL also suspended him for breaching the league’s substance abuse policy.

From 2014 to 2015, Johnny played for the Cleveland Browns, marking his entire NFL career with the franchise. Following his NFL stint, he had a brief tenure with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL.

As discussed in the following section, while conservative estimates suggested that Johnny’s earnings could exceed $100 million from both salary and endorsements, he amassed only $7.7 million in salary and approximately $10 million from endorsements, the latter primarily from a contract with Nike that was later terminated.

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

Contracts & Career Earnings

Had Johnny maintained a decent performance throughout an average NFL career, projections indicated he might earn over $100 million in salary and endorsements. In reality, his earnings amounted to just $7.7 million in salary and around $10 million in endorsements, totaling career pre-tax earnings 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 year, when considering salary, signing bonus, and endorsements, Johnny Manziel earned $7 million. In that season, he recorded a total of 175 passing yards, with no passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. On March 11, 2016, the Cleveland Browns released Johnny after compensating him with $7,707,913 in salary. Over his time with the team, Manziel recorded seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.

This figure of $7,707,913 ultimately represented his total earnings in the NFL.

As mentioned earlier, in the 2023 Netflix documentary, Johnny claimed he had spent $5 million on a “bender” during and right after his NFL career. It’s plausible that he received a high six-figure or low seven-figure fee for his appearance in the documentary.

Family Wealth

During his rise as a college athlete, rumors circulated about Johnny’s alleged substantial oil fortune. However, much of the speculation was exaggerated. In his 2023 Netflix documentary, Johnny disclosed that he embellished his family’s financial background to justify the money he was making by selling autographs, which violated NCAA regulations at the time.

Nevertheless, it is accurate that there is some oil wealth in his family’s history.

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

In 1930, Johnny’s great-grandfather, Bobby Joe, struck oil in Texas after attempting dozens of unsuccessful drills. This successful venture led to multiple productive wells, significantly enhancing Bobby Joe’s income, which ultimately financed “The Oil Palace,” a music venue in Tyler, Texas, with a capacity of 7,000. Initially, Bobby Joe envisioned the Palace as a boxing venue.

He passed away in 1956, leading to a nearly 30-year halt in construction. Ultimately, it was finished and inaugurated in 1983.

Bobby Joe’s son, named Bobby Joe Jr., was apprehended in 1975 and faced conspiracy charges related to a murder in that same year. Although the murder charges were dismissed, he was found guilty of cocaine trafficking. Bobby Joe Jr. managed The Oil Palace until his demise in 2022.

Johnny’s parents are quite ordinary and unassuming. They were bartenders at the time of Johnny’s birth. For most of his career, Johnny’s father, Paul, was employed as a car salesman, managing a Honda dealership located three hours away from their residence. It was reported that he would only return home on weekends for several years. Growing up in Tyler, Texas, Johnny was raised in a typical household that currently holds an estimated value of $700,000. His parents still possess and reside in the property.

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

Endorsements

During his short NFL career, Johnny accrued millions from endorsements, primarily working with Nike. He also partnered with Nissan, McDonald’s, and Panini America.

Just prior to his entry into the NFL draft, while still anticipated to be a first-round selection with a promising career ahead, Johnny signed a multi-million dollar endorsement agreement with Nike. Additional proposals from Under Armour and New Balance also aimed to secure Manziel as an endorser. Sadly, in April 2016, after a series of off-field controversies, Johnny was dropped by Nike and his agents just two years later.

Early Life

Born on December 6, 1992, in Tyler, Texas, Jonathan Paul Manziel is of Italian and Lebanese descent and has a younger sister named Meri. His parents have achieved considerable success and wealth through their investments in the oil and natural gas sectors.

Paul and Michelle Manziel, Johnny Manziel’s parents, are reportedly oil magnates with a net worth potentially between $50 million and $100 million. They first crossed paths while working as bartenders; afterwards, Michelle transitioned to real estate while Paul ventured into home construction and car sales. However, the family’s true wealth derives from Bobby Joe Manziel, Johnny’s great-grandfather, who struck oil after relocating to Texas in the 1930s.

While growing up, Johnny engaged in a variety of sports, such as football, basketball, baseball, and golf, but eventually decided to concentrate on football and baseball during his time at Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas.

In his high school football journey, he initially played as a receiver in his freshman year, transitioning to quarterback during the fourth game of his sophomore season. As a quarterback, he quickly caught attention with his outstanding statistics; in his senior year, he achieved a passing completion rate of 65.7% for 3,609 yards, recording 45 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions. Among the honors he received are the San Antonio Express-News Offensive Player of the Year (twice), the National High School Coaches Association Senior Athlete of the Year in Football, and a designation as a “Parade” All-American.

Several schools expressed interest in recruiting him, including Baylor, Colorado State, Iowa State, Louisiana Tech, Oregon Rice, Stanford, Tulsa, and Texas A&M.

College Career

Choosing Texas A&M to play football, Johnny secured an academic scholarship. Following quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s exit to the NFL after the 2011 season, Texas A&M needed a new starter. Manziel surpassed Jameill Showers and Matt Joeckel to claim the starting quarterback role. His performance caught attention when he shattered Archie Manning’s 43-year-old record for total offense during a game against Arkansas, and his success continued. After leading Texas A&M to a win over top-ranked Alabama, he started appearing on Heisman Watch lists. Manziel made history as the first freshman (and only the fifth player in NCAA history) to pass for over 3,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season. He further cemented his legacy by becoming the first freshman to win both the Davey O’Brien Award and the Heisman Trophy. In his sophomore season, he finished fifth in the 2013 Heisman Trophy voting.

Professional Career

Deciding to leave college football, Manziel opted to skip his junior season at Texas A&M to enter the 2014 NFL Draft. While he was anticipated to be a first-round selection, questions about his attitude persisted, causing hesitation among teams. On draft day, 21 teams—including the Cleveland Browns—passed on Manziel, but a text he sent to Browns quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains ultimately persuaded head coach Mike Pettine to select him as the 22^nd overall pick.

Manziel’s tenure with the Browns lasted just two seasons, both fraught with challenges. In his rookie year (2014), the NFL fined him $12,000 for an inappropriate gesture during a preseason game against the Washington Redskins, which resulted in Brian Hoyer being named the starting quarterback for the opening regular-season game. Then, in the 2015 season, after footage of him partying surfaced, he was demoted to third-string quarterback. On March 11, 2016, the Cleveland Browns released Manziel, having paid him $7,707,913 in salary during his time there, where he recorded seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.

After two years away from football, largely due to ongoing contract negotiations, he returned in 2018 by signing a two-year deal with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League (CFL). However, he was merely a benchwarmer for six weeks before being traded to the Montreal Alouettes in July 2018. Ultimately, the CFL severed ties with Manziel, leading to his release by the Alouettes at the request of league officials.

In an effort to get back into professional football, Manziel joined the newly founded Alliance of American Football (AAF) in March 2019, being assigned to the Memphis Express team. However, theIn April 2019, the league filed for bankruptcy, having failed to complete even a single season. Currently, Manziel is signed with the FCF Zappers, a team in the Fan-Controlled Football indoor league.

Personal Life and Controversies

Engaged to Bre Tiesi in March 2017, Manziel married her in March 2018. However, the couple split just a year later. Bre went on to have a child with Nick Cannon in June 2021 and joined the reality show “Selling Sunset” in 2023.

Despite being a skilled athlete, Manziel’s career has been overshadowed by numerous controversies and legal issues. His initial arrest occurred in June 2012, prior to his debut college football game. It was reported that he tried to intervene in an altercation involving a friend, got caught up in it himself, and then presented a fake ID to the police. Nevertheless, he was named the starting quarterback for Texas A&M University.

His problematic behavior persisted throughout college and into his professional career, attracting notable media scrutiny. His incidents included being ejected from a University of Texas fraternity party, undergoing an NCAA investigation regarding alleged payments for autographs (of which he was cleared), being stopped by police for an altercation with his then-girlfriend Colleen Crowley, and a 2016 Dallas Police Department inquiry related to domestic violence accusations made by Crowley (resulting in misdemeanor assault charges). His off-field antics had serious consequences, such as being released by the Cleveland Browns, losing a deal with Nike, and having two agents drop him as a client.

Blaming the Browns

In a 2018 guest spot on “The Dan Patrick Show,” Manziel attributed blame to his former team for failing to acknowledge his deficiencies—particularly regarding his work ethic and motivation.

“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 remarked 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 purchased a home in Avon, Ohio for $400,000. He put the house on the market in May 2016 for $489,000, eventually settling for $480,000 in June 2016. Currently, he resides in Scottsdale, Arizona.