Johnny Manziel: Stop Comparing Me to Kaepernick; He's Doing 'Amazing Things'
Johnny Manziel is tired of the comparisons between himself and Colin Kaepernick.
Manziel, the former first-round pick who flamed out of the NFL amid off-field problems with substance abuse, recently threw in front of 13 teams at the University of San Diego's pro day as he attempts a comeback to the league. The teams' presence on social media prompted some to wonder why Manziel is getting attention while Colin Kaepernick, who has had much more success in the NFL, remains unsigned despite throwing 16 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions in 2016.
"This will probably cause an uprorar, but I'm tired of the [Kaepernick] vs myself comparisons and anger," Manziel, 25, wrote on Twitter. "Kap is doing amazing things right now changing lives and donating millions of dollars. His impact off the field from a societal standpoint is legendary and straight admirable."
Kaepernick made headlines when he began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice in American during the 2016 season. His actions have sparked many other players to protest during the national anthem, an issues that has caused heated controversy across the league.
Kaepernick was 2017 recipient of Sports Illustrated's Muhammad Ali Legacy Award for his social activism and charitable donations to at-risk communities.
"The facts of the matter are the reason he's not being signed are non football based," Manziel said. "The guy took a team to the Super Bowl and continuously wreaked havoc on the NFC West and the league. Maybe he had a bad year two years ago but he's not a bad player and that's a fact."
Video surfaced of Kaepernick throwing earlier this week, and Kaepernick has been vocal about wanting to return to the league. He filed a lawsuit against the league accusing owners of colluding in their efforts to keep him out of the league.
Manziel, the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner, has not played in the NFL since he made six stars and 10 appearances for the Browns in 2015. He has 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns passes and seven interceptions in 15 total appearances, eight of which were starts.
