"Johnny wants to let Hamilton fans know where things stand and that he has been working hard in preparation for his comeback," Johnny's agent Erik Burkhardt said in a statement.

Burkhardt says Johnny is hopeful they can work out a "fair deal" with the Canadian Football League team -- and by that he means a contract "on par with what Hamilton has paid their QB in recent years, despite not having much on-field success."

Johnny likes the execs in the Hamilton front office -- and seems excited to play for coach June Jones ... but Burkhardt says the clock is ticking.

"If we cannot reach a deal with Hamilton by this date [Jan. 31], we will turn our focus to several other professional options readily available to us."

Stay tuned ...