Johnny Manziel says in new Netflix documentary he bought a gun and attempted suicide in 2016
Content warning: This article includes mention of suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 988.
Johnny Manziel's life almost took a dark turn when his NFL career ended.
The former Heisman Trophy winner revealed in his episode of Netflix's "Untold" documentary series that he planned to commit suicide in 2016. He had recently been released by the Cleveland Browns in March of that year and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
“I had planned to do everything I wanted to do at that point in my life, spend as much money as I possibly could and then my plan was to take my life,” Manziel said in his episode, per the Dallas Morning News. “I wanted to get as bad as humanly possible to where it made sense, and it made it seem like an excuse and an out for me.”
Manziel, now 30, said he used cocaine and the prescription drug OxyContin, dropped from 215 pounds to 175 pounds in a nine-month stretch and went on a "$5-million bender." He also said he bought a gun "months prior," but when he pulled the trigger, Manziel said the gun malfunctioned.
“Still to this day, don’t know what happened, but the gun just clicked on me," he said. "I couldn’t fix what I had done with ... the NFL, with [Texas] A&M, everything. At that point in time I didn't have that much of a relationship with my family. The ride was over.”
After his attempt, Manziel said he flew from L.A. to Texas to be with his family.
The episode comes out Aug. 8 and dives into the world of "Johnny Football" — from Manziel's meteoric rise at Texas A&M where he won the Heisman Trophy in 2012 to being drafted No. 22 overall by the Browns in 2014 to his eventual fall from grace that included multiple arrests and his eventual 2016 release.
Jake Paul. Johnny Football. Hall of Shame. Swamp Kings.
You think you know these stories, but you don't. Netflix Sports Series UNTOLD Volume 3 returns August 1 pic.twitter.com/IR1RzJF3NO— Netflix (@netflix) July 18, 2023
Manziel's whirlwind football life
Manziel enjoyed a tremendous collegiate career at Texas A&M and later admitted he made $33,000 selling autographs after he won the Heisman Trophy. That caught the eye of the NCAA, which investigated but couldn't prove he made money — though he was suspended for the first half of Texas A&M's 2013 season-opener against Rice for an "inadvertent violation" of NCAA rules.
Following his college career, Manziel played in 14 games over two seasons with the Browns from 2014-2015. He finished his NFL career with 147 completions for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. Manziel most recently played in the Fan Controlled Football League in 2021 after stints in the Alliance of American Football and the Canadian Football League.
But while Manziel's football career led to his celebrity, his off-field issues attracted more headlines.
He was arrested in 2012 before taking a snap at Texas A&M and charged with disorderly conduct, failure to produce identification and possession of a fictitious driver's license. In 2015, Manziel entered a treatment facility for an unspecified reason. During that NFL season, the Browns demoted Manziel to third-string quarterback after he lied about a video that made its way across the internet. And at the end of the season he was seen in Las Vegas the night before the Browns played their final game of the year and failed to show up for a concussion assessment the next day.
Manziel was charged with assaulting his then-girlfriend in January, 2016, and was released by the Browns two months later. Those charges were eventually dropped in lieu of Manziel entering an anger management course and attending a domestic violence victim impact panel among other agreements.
Manziel apparently refused to enter rehab and said in the documentary his bipolar disorder diagnosis came after his release from the Browns — a transaction which he said he believes exacerbated his spiral.
“The wires in my head seemed very twisted,” Manziel said.
His father, Paul Manziel, told the Morning News in 2016 that his son "won't live to see his 24th birthday" if he doesn't get treatment. Manziel's father told ESPN seven years ago that his son "is a druggie" and that jail "would be the best place for him" and "hopefully he doesn't die before he comes to his senses."
The CFL banned Manziel after 16 games in 2018 after he "violated one of the conditions we had set for him to be in our league," CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said.
Manziel's father sees 'better days coming' for his son
Despite everything that happened to him in the past, Paul Manziel father said in the documentary he believes Johnny will have "a lot better days coming than what he's had." After his suicide attempt, Johnny Manziel apparently went back to his family's home in Texas.
“It’s been a long, long road, and I don’t know if it’s been great or it’s been bad. That’s kind of still up for debate,” his father said. “But we’re blessed. And he’s still with us. And we can mend all the fences still."
On Wednesday, Manziel said he's opening "Johnny Manziel's Money Bar" near College Station, although no other details have been revealed about the bar's location or opening date.
