(Photo credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images)

Johnny Manziel believes he would have put the NFL off longer if Name, Image, and Likeness had been available during his career at Texas A&M.

Manziel declared for the 2014 NFL Draft after his redshirt sophomore season with the Aggies. He went on to sign a four-year, $8.2 million rookie contract with the Cleveland Browns, who selected the polarizing quarterback with the 22nd overall pick.

Dubbed 'Johnny Football,' Manziel believes he would have stood to earn considerably more in NIL over his final two years of eligibility than going to the NFL.

After becoming the first-ever freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, the Manning Award and the Davey O'Brien Award while throwing for 3,706 yards and 26 touchdowns as a freshman, Manziel threw for 4,114 yards and 37 touchdowns the next season.

'I tell people this all the time, and they asked me this, I really feel like I would have taken a pay cut had I gone to the NFL,' Manziel said on Always College Football, per On3.com. 'I mean, that's really what it would have been. I mean, it is crazy times that we're living, and I think, you know, in a lot of areas, still figuring out exactly how to make it work the right way, where it's not just the biggest boosters and the richest schools. If you look at A&M, you know, I feel like we've put a ton of money in it to our NIL, and it hasn't necessarily translated onto the field.

'So, you know, I feel guys who are playing at a high level, who are really noticeable and really marketable, are making a great amount of money off the field, to the point where guys have the opportunity to stay in school rather than having to go to the NFL early.'

Following two controversy-laden seasons, Manziel was released by the Browns and did not throw another pass in the NFL. After being out of football for two years, he played for Hamilton and Montreal in the Canadian Football League in 2018 and spent time with the AAF's Memphis express in 2019.

Manziel later played two seasons in the Fan Controlled Football League from 2021-22.

--Field Level Media