“I Knew I Was..”: After Quarterback’s Success, Netflix Shines the Spotlight on Former NFL Star Who Battled With Bipolar Disorder and Suicidal Thoughts

Published 08/04/2023, 1:07 PM EDT

NFL has become a hot topic for even those who do not watch the sport, courtesy of Netflix’s docuseries ‘Quarterback’. It takes viewers through the journey of resilient athletes Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, and Marcus Mariota last season, also sharing behind-the-scene moments. The Peyton Manning-produced docuseries became the No.1 show on Netflix in just three days. While fans look forward to a second season, there is another interesting news on the block.

After the success of this show, Netflix is coming up with another documentary. And this time, it shines a light on the life of former a former NFL star who fought a long battle with depression and mental disorders. Fans will be offered a closer look at how the former Browns’ QB came out stronger from these challenges.

New Netflix Documentary will focus on the life of Johnny Manziel

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Johnny Manziel was a QB in the NFL, who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns back in 2014 as their 22nd overall pick. Coming out of Texas A&M, he was considered as one of the best dual-threat QB back then. But Johnny Manziel had a short career in the league, as he dealt with personal problems and substance abuse. He eventually played only for two seasons and has not made an appearance since 2015.

Former Football star Johnny Manziel opens up about planning to commit suicide after finding out he's bipolar.
“I got diagnosed as bipolar and I felt like it was the same as being called an alcoholic or a drug addict,”
"Spend as much money as I possibly could and then my plan… pic.twitter.com/XRzzVU8FzK
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 4, 2023

And now, in his latest documentary on Netflix called ‘Untold: Johnny Football’, the former NFL QB opens up about taking his own life after falling from the highest tier of football. He talked about how he was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, and he felt that it was the “same as being called an alcoholic or a drug addict.” Johnny Manziel talks about how he spent huge amounts of money and then eventually end his own life. He also talked about how he brought a gun months before and knew that he would use it to take his life.

Thankfully, the former QB went through a phase of self-introspection. And now, he’s living a much happier life than the turmoil he was in years ago. Interestingly, he hasn’t gotten over being a sport person.

What is Manziel doing now?

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After he ended his journey with NFL, Johnny Manziel didn’t give up on sports. He chose to play in the Canadian Football League. Last year, Manziel played QB for the Fan Controlled Football (FCF) league team called the Zappers. Apart from this, the 29-year-old also opened up about how he wishes to turn to professional golf during an episode of the ‘Green Light with Chris Long’ podcast. Apart from this, Johnny Manziel recently announced that he will be opening a bar back in his town, Texas. He’s proudly named it, ‘Johnny Manziel’s Money Bar’. The bar is due for launch this fall.

After facing such difficulties in life, the former NFL QB looks like he’s doing pretty well in life. And leaving behind his tumultuous past, Johnny Manziel will be looking forward to making a better future for himself in the coming days ahead. Now, ethos like sportsmanship is something you take along no matter what.

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Directed by Ryan Duffy, “Untold” is scheduled to release on August 8, 2023

Watch this story: Super Bowl winner Aaron Rodgers makes unprecedented move with his massive $35 million sacrifice

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Written by:

Priyam Hazarika is a ‘freshman’ at EssentiallySports. He was picked in the latest round of ‘ES Draft’ when we picked young writers with plenty of passion for NFL writing. Still in his early days, Priyam is driven by the words of wisdom from one of the greatest NFL coaches, Vince Lombardi: “Winning is not everything — but making the effort to win is.

Edited by:

Mallika Singh

“I Knew I Was..”: After Quarterback’s Success, Netflix Shines the Spotlight on Former NFL Star Who Battled With Bipolar Disorder and Suicidal Thoughts

New Netflix Documentary will focus on the life of Johnny Manziel

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What is Manziel doing now?