Johnny Manziel didn’t exactly leave his mark on Cleveland during his two NFL seasons with the Browns, but he might end up leaving his mark in a different way, even if he doesn’t know that just yet. The Browns are expected to soon start the process of building a new $2.4 billion stadium and as it turns out, Johnny Football might be unknowingly contributing some money to the project.
To help pay for the stadium, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently approved a budget that will call for the state to contribute $600 million to the project. The catch here is that the money will actually come from Ohio’s pot of unclaimed funds. In the state of Ohio, an unclaimed fund could be anything from a dormant bank account, to an unreturned utility deposit to an uncashed check to an undelivered stock certificate.
Overall, the state has $4.8 billion available in the pot. Starting on Jan. 1, 2026, any money that has gone unclaimed for more than 10 years can be contributed to the fund that will help pay for the Browns’ stadium. So where does Manziel come in? Well, he’s got some unclaimed funds in Ohio.
According to the state of Ohio’s website, Manziel actually has two unclaimed funds that he is eligible to cash out. The one above is the big one: It’s from NFL Player’s Inc. and it’s worth more than $100. Manziel also has an unclaimed fund from ADT security that’s worth between $50 and $100. The Browns’ stadium is currently known as Huntington Bank Field, but by the time it opens, we might have to just all agree to call it “Johnny Football’s Field.”
Manziel was the 22nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, but he only lasted two seasons before he flamed out in Cleveland.
Since Manziel last played for the Browns in 2015, there’s a good chance that both of these claims will be 10 years old by Jan. 1, which means they’ll be eligible to be donated to the new stadium. Of course, Manziel could claim that money at some point between now and then so that the Browns don’t get it.
Apparently, there are a lot people in Ohio who DON’T want to donate money to the Browns’ stadium, because there has been an 83% increase in the amount of Ohioans going after their unclaimed funds during the period from June 30 to July 6, according to Fox 8 in Ohio.
Manziel isn’t the only former Browns quarterback who might end up contributing to the cost of the stadium. Baker Mayfield also has multiple unclaimed funds, but unlike Manziel, all of his claims are under $100. Former Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton also has a few unclaimed funds, so there could be a few Bengals players who also unwittingly contribute to the cost of the new Browns’ stadium.
I also have some unclaimed funds in Ohio, so I decided to let the people vote whether I should claim the funds or let them go toward the Browns’ new stadium, and I have some bad news for the Browns:
Although the Browns are hoping to have their new stadium ready in time for the 2029 season, there are still some obstacles in their way before they can start construction of the domed project, which will be built in suburban Brook Park, which is just outside of Cleveland. For one, the state of Ohio is currently facing a lawsuit over whether it’s even legal to use the unclaimed funds to help pay for the new stadium. That lawsuit will likely have to be settled before the state starts handing over any money.
Go to Source
Author: John Breech
July 18, 2025 | 2:06 pm
