Johnny Manziel -- '12 Heisman Trophy winner and former 1st-round NFL Draft pick -- is simply not good enough to play in the XFL ... so says XFL Commish Oliver Luck.
When the XFL's 2020 Draft went down earlier this year, a lot of people were surprised that Manziel's name wasn't called.
After all, the 27-year-old flashed some signs of that legendary talent during his brief run in the Canadian Football League in 2018 ... and some people thought the XFL would be a no-brainer for him.
But, Johnny didn't enter the XFL's 2020 Draft pool -- shocking some people -- and there didn't appear to be any real interest in getting the ex-Texas A&M star on a roster.
So, when the Tampa Bay Times asked Commissioner Luck about Manziel and fellow 1st-round NFL draft pick Trent Richardson not playing in the XFL this season, the Commish didn't pull his punches.
"I would argue that the players we have are better than those guys, to be honest with you," Luck said.
"Johnny has his own history, and we have coaches from the CFL who have seen him close up."
In other words ... Luck ain't convinced he can play anymore.
As for Richardson ... "I watched Trent when he was with the Colts, and I watched him when he was with the AAF. He was in the draft pool. Coaches and scouts looked at him and didn’t think he was going to help their team."
"I think the guys we have on our teams are the best 560 that aren’t playing in the National Football League."
So, what's next for Johnny Manziel? He seems to be out of pro football options. But, when we saw him in NYC for the Heisman Trophy ceremony this weekend, we asked if he was interested in a career in broadcasting.
Manziel was the 22nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft -- but washed out of the NFL after just 2 seasons with the Cleveland Browns.
He's been open about his struggles with substance abuse and has gone to rehab several times ... but it seems like he's been on the straight and narrow for a while now.