Haslam opens up on Manning's future as Browns QB.
Browns Owner Jimmy Haslem Gets Blunt About Drafting Arch Manning originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
As NFL teams begin to map out their quarterback plans for 2026, the Cleveland Browns find themselves at an early crossroads.
Fresh off a 3-14 finish in 2024 and a loaded quarterback room featuring Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, owner Jimmy Haslam was recently pressed on offseason chatter linking the Browns to Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning.
On Monday, Haslam put the rumors to rest, saying, "I don’t know Arch at all. I’d bet he stays in college two more years. I don’t even think that’s worth discussing."
While Haslam's offhand response packaged months of rumors into a single sound-bite, it hardly ends the conversation around Manning’s NFL prospects or Cleveland’s future under center.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, who has a strong relationship with the Manning family, was asked to comment on the speculation that he’s already eyeing Arch Manning in 2026 NFL draft.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) July 29, 2025
“I don’t know Arch at all. I bet he stays in college two more years. I don’t even think that’s…
Arch Manning's Future at Texas and NFL Draft Stock
As one of the most coveted prospects in the 2023 cycle, Manning committed to Texas in June 2022, marking one of Steve Sarkisian's biggest recruiting wins as Longhorns head coach.
He redshirted his true freshman year, appearing in two blowout wins, then last season, saw action in 10 games (two starts), completing 67.8% of his passes for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions, while rushing for 108 yards and four scores.
Long before Manning’s first collegiate snap, however, draft analysts pegged him as a potential top pick in 2026, thanks not only to his lineage as grandson of Archie Manning and nephew of two Super Bowl-winning uncles in Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, but also his film.
That combination led Fox Sports host Colin Cowherd to float a dramatic scenario: Browns owner Jimmy Haslam recruits legendary coach Nick Saban and then selects Manning with Cleveland’s 2026 first overall pick.
Similar buzz linked the Rams, armed with two first-round selections in ’26 and a quarterback-developer in Sean McVay, as a plausible landing spot, thanks to GM Les Snead’s personal ties to Manning and L.A.’s quarterback succession concerns with an aging Matthew Stafford (turns 38 in February).
Could the Cleveland Browns Draft Arch Manning?
While owners and GMs rarely reveal draft intentions publicly, Haslam’s dismissal signals caution.
Cleveland added a 2026 first-rounder in April by trading the 2025 No. 2 pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars (used on Heisman winner Travis Hunter) and many speculated it was motivated by Manning’s projected timeline, despite Haslam’s latest remark indicating otherwise.
Drafting Manning, however, would mean adding yet another young quarterback to a room that already features two 2025 NFL draft picks in Sanders and Gabriel.
Manning himself has insisted that talk of becoming the first pick is premature.
At SEC Media Days in mid-July, he said, "I’m just focused on this year and getting better each day" and that draft planning isn’t on his radar until after the season.
As training camps open nationwide, the Browns will focus on internal competition for the 2025 QB1, while Manning prepares to shoulder Texas’ offense that experts predict to be one of the best in college football.
Should the Browns falter again in 2025, however, it won't take long for the Manning discussions to reconvene.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Football
