Manning is leaving the door open for the 2026 NFL Draft
The minute the Los Angeles Rams acquired an additional first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, speculation about whether they may or may not target Arch Manning next year began. Manning is viewed as a potential franchise quarterback and possible No. 1 overall pick, and with the Rams owning two first-rounders, they could have the ammo to go up and get him.
Then reality hit: Manning might not even declare for the 2026 draft, opting to stay in school longer like his uncles, Peyton and Eli Manning. His grandfather, Archie Manning, even said with some conviction recently that Arch won’t declare for the draft next year.
“Arch isn’t going to do that,” Manning said of whether Arch will declare for the 2026 draft, via Texas Monthly. “He’ll be at Texas.”
During a press conference on Tuesday, Arch refuted his grandfather’s comments and left the door open to the possibility of entering the draft in 2026.
“Yeah, I don’t know where he got that from. He texted me and apologized about that, but I’m really just taking it day by day right now,” Manning said.
The Rams have been linked to Manning in recent months, with Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson reporting that the team sees him as the only Tier 1 quarterback in the 2026 class and that they view him as a potential successor to Matthew Stafford. Some in the Rams’ building even believe he could be a “Josh Allen type of prospect.”
There’s a long way to go until next April and there’s no telling the Rams (or Falcons) will be bad enough to even be in striking distance of Manning – if he declares in the first place. But no matter how this season goes, Los Angeles should be in the market for a rookie quarterback next year.