Johnny Manziel Told Judge He Has Lost Trust with NFL Due to Player Treatment

Johnny Manziel told a Dallas judge on Tuesday that he needed to get his life "in order" while also expressing distrust in the NFL, according to Naheed Rajwani of the Dallas Morning News.

The former NFL quarterback told Judge Roberto Canas that he was wary of working with the NFL given how it has handled players in the past. He also spoke about making changes in his life.

"Everything has been going extremely smoothly and my life is trending upward, so I don't even want to let this get anywhere near the rabbit hole that you were describing," he said, per Rajwani. "This situation is in my hands... I need to get my life in order. These are the things I need to do."

Manziel, 24, was in court to discuss the conditional agreement that his legal team negotiated with the Dallas County district attorney's office in exchange for dismissing the misdemeanor assault charges he's facing after his ex-girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, accused him of "kidnapping, beating and threatening to kill her during a fight over another woman, which she said left her deaf in her left ear," per Rajwani.

Manziel is required to take an "anger management course, attend a domestic violence victim impact panel, and participate in either the NFL's substance abuse program or go to a court-approved drug and alcohol rehab facility."

He was in court on Tuesday after Canas said Manziel failed to provide an update to the court on deadline.

If Manziel doesn’t meet the criteria outlined in his conditional agreement within the year or is charged with another crime, the DA warned Manziel he will be prosecuted on the misdemeanor assault charges. He’s facing up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

The former Cleveland Browns quarterback and 22nd overall pick of the 2014 NFL draft was released by the Browns in March 2016 and didn’t resurface in the NFL last season amidst legal issues and poor play on the field. Given his litany of off-field concerns and the distractions he created for the Browns during his time in the NFL, teams may be as wary of Manziel as he appears to be of the league.

Manziel is also facing a potential suspension from the NFL if he returns to the league. Despite his agreement with the Dallas DA, the NFL reserves the right to punish him under the NFL's domestic violence policy.