Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning hasn't yet gotten his shot to be the regular starter on a college football team, but he's just one year away from a potential Heisman Trophy run and perhaps the honor of becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
Teams across the league have already begun to maneuver to potentially snag Manning, who is football royalty after his grandfather and namesake Archie Manning, as well as both of his uncles Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, have all played in the NFL to tremendous success.
Among the franchises positioned to pursue Manning a little over one year from now is the Cleveland Browns. Jason Lloyd of The Athletic on Saturday, Dec. 21, ran through how and why Manning to Cleveland might happen, including a blockbuster trade involving Browns' superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett.
"[Browns owner] Jimmy Haslam, of course, has deep ties to the University of Tennessee. Beyond that, he has a deep affection for the Manning family," Lloyd wrote. "Do you think he isn’t salivating at the idea of finally bringing a Manning to the Browns?"
Lloyd continued, outlining a plan that would see the team spend the 2025 campaign building a better roster around a future star rookie QB and dealing Garrett in a bid to acquire as many assets as possible in an attempt to make Manning reachable in the draft.
"How exactly do the Browns get to Arch Manning? By ignoring the quarterback position this offseason and filling their other needs, of which there are many. Tank for a year and start to wade through a chunk of the $170 million still owed [Deshaun] Watson on their future cap sheets," Lloyd wrote. "Garrett is the only player on the roster who could fetch multiple first-round picks, which the Browns could use as currency in 2026 to move up and nab Manning."
The plan isn't perfect, but it could position Cleveland to secure the outcome of Manning in a Browns uniform.
Those chances improve with no upgrade at QB next season and Garrett on another team. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year on the cusp of the third season of his five-year, $125 million contract in 2025 and recently spoke openly about the fact that Cleveland must show him a blueprint to winning immediately lest he ask out of the organization.
