College Sports: Johnny Manziel released from Montreal CFL Alouettes, will continue his football options in the United States

Johnny Manziel's Canadian football career is over for the moment.

The Montreal Alouettes announced Wednesday afternoon having released Manziel less than a season after signing his initial contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last March.

The Canadian Football League said Manziel would be barred from signing with other league franchises, as it was discovered that Manziel had broken his contract with the CFL to maintain his eligibility.

"We are disappointed by the turn of events and our organization, in collaboration with the CFL, has provided considerable support to Johnny, but he has not been able to meet the terms of his contract," Kavis said. Reed, director general of Montreal, said in a statement. "We worked with the league and presented alternatives to Johnny, who did not want to continue.

"We are confident that we will be able to participate in the 2019 training camp with a list of quarterbacks of players who had played in our system last year and who are engaged in our team.

Read the full CFL release here.

Manziel said he hoped to explore future football options in the United States in a tweet Wednesday afternoon.

"I want to thank the coach [Mike] Sherman, my teammates and fans of the CFL. My stay there has restored my love for football and its work. I look forward to exploring new options in the United States, "wrote Manziel.