Johnny Manziel claims the Chiefs almost signed him instead of drafting Patrick Mahomes during the 2017 offseason after he ‘took a few meetings in Kansas City’
- Manziel was a free agent and had multiple visits with the Chiefs in 2017
- Kanas City also had incumbent starting QB Alex Smith on their roster that year
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Former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel recently said he believes Patrick Mahomes’ reign with the Kansas City Chiefs almost didn’t happen.
Manziel appeared on the ‘The Rush Podcast,’ when he stated that he almost signed with the Chiefs as a free agent in 2017, which could have resulted in Kansas City not drafting Mahomes that year.
βI thought I was going to sign in Kansas City the same year Mahomes got drafted,β Manziel said.
βSo I think if they hadn’t taken a quarterback, which thank God they did, I could have ended up there.β
Had Manziel signed with the Chiefs, he likely would have filled the backup QB spot behind incumbent starter Alex Smith, who had just been named to his second Pro Bowl after leading the team to a 12-4 record.
Johnny Manziel said the KC Chiefs almost signed him instead of drafting Patrick Mahomes
KC drafted Mahomes in 2017 after Manziel attended multiple free agent meetings with the team
Manziel was originally drafted No. 22 by the Cleveland Browns and was cut after just two years
βI attended a few meetings there and flew to Kansas City and kicked the tires,β Manziel said. “It didn’t work out in the end.”
Manziel also said Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has built a reputation on helping players bounce back from off-field issues.
Some of the most notable careers Reid has gotten back on track have included quarterback Michael Vick, tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
βAndy Reid has a really long history of helping people, and he saw something in me too,β Manziel said.
Manziel was originally taken by the Cleveland Browns No. 22 overall pick, but was unable to replicate his Heisman Trophy success during his time at Texas A&M due to issues both on and off the field.
The Chiefs ultimately selected Mahomes in that year’s draft, which turned out to be a move that paid off.
The quarterback has led the franchise to three Super Bowl victories in five years, including this season’s back-to-back victory in Las Vegas.