Johnny Manziel, Robert Griffin III Announce Next Steps in Their Athletic Careers

Twelve years ago, the Browns moved up four spots in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft to select Johnny Manziel, the polarizing Heisman Trophy winner coming off two incredible seasons with Texas A&M. At the time, Robert Griffin III—the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner and 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year—was a prized young quarterback in Washington.

Twelve years later, both Manziel and Griffin are long out of the NFL. Manziel, of course, lasted just two seasons before the Browns cut ties due to off-the-field concerns. Griffin’s shot at stardom was cut short due to injuries, and he bounced around as a backup until 2020.

We’re not sure what’s going on over at the Heisman house these days, but both Manziel and Griffin have recent updates on their athletic careers.

Manziel is set to make his boxing debut May 23 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas in a fight against Bob Menery, a social media personality with 2.8 million followers on Instagram. It’s a fight that will be promoted by Adin Ross’s Brand Risk Promotions, which has also promoted similar fights between celebrities and influencers. Back in November, former NFL running back Le’Veon Bell fought YouTube sensation Supah Hot Fire.

While Manziel is pivoting his career to boxing, Griffin announced Friday that he won’t be returning to the gridiron to earn a spot on the U.S. flag football team.

“I’ve removed myself from the 2026 USA Football Team selection process,” Griffin said. “A commitment honoring our military veterans is preventing me from attending training camp and that’s not fair to the other 23 guys competing for a spot this year. Looking forward to seeing the squad go to Germany and win gold and still excited for LA28.”

UPDATE: I’ve removed myself from the 2026 USA Football Team selection process. A commitment honoring our military veterans is preventing me from attending training camp and that’s not fair to the other 23 guys competing for a spot this year. Looking forward to seeing the squad go… https://t.co/SAGdC3o2kR
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) May 9, 2026

Back in March, Griffin announced his intentions to try out for the U.S. flag football team and represent the United States at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where flag football is debuting as a sport.

It appears Griffin will be watching the Gold Zone on his couch in 2028 like the rest of us.

What has Johnny Manziel been up to lately?

Since he was last on the Browns’ roster in 2016, Manziel has been all over the place. He played a couple years in the CFL and spent the 2019 campaign with the Memphis Express of the now-defunct Alliance of American Football. Manziel played a bit in the Fan Controlled Football, a league he told the USA Today he joined because he was “a little bored.”

Back in December, Manziel was slotted to appear on ESPN’s College GameDay as the guest picker ahead of his alma mater’s matchup against Miami. He didn’t make it, though, and was replaced by former Aggies guard Alex Caruso.

Manziel also recently appeared on the show Special Forces and became the fifth recruit to voluntarily withdraw during the competition.

What has Robert Griffin III been up to lately?

Griffin played in parts of seven seasons in the NFL for Washington, Cleveland and Baltimore before bowing out of the league following the 2020 campaign.

Following his playing career, Griffin joined ESPN as a college football analyst but was fired in 2024 with two years remaining on his contract. He was a color commentator during college football games and an analyst on morning shows and Monday Night Countdown before his departure.

In 2025, Griffin joined Fox Sports as the network’s No. 2 college football game analyst. He also hosts a podcast titled Outta Pocket With RGIII.

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