The Arch Manning Sweepstakes Got More Complicated After NFL Week 1

Arch Manning can breathe easy on a Monday, after his Texas Longhorns completed an improbable comeback against Ohio State Saturday night.

Then on Sunday, the NFL’s biggest losers like the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals both found huge wins, worsening their chances of selecting Manning during April’s 2026 NFL Draft. It’s just one week. But the Jets and Cardinals are both expected to be among the worst teams in football this season. The Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans all lost, though, and perhaps the latter would be willing to dump Cam Ward if they lose enough games to secure Manning’s services.

Will teams avoid the tank?

This is expected to be one of the deepest quarterback draft classes in recent memory. And if that holds true, teams could resist the urge to tanking into the No. 1 overall selection.

Take the 2018 NFL Draft for example. The Browns and Jets took the first two quarterbacks, with Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold off the board in the top three of the draft. Those were both the incorrect selections, as those players never saw a second contract with those teams, even though both have found success elsewhere. The Cardinals selected Josh Rosen, who didn’t even make it back for a second season while the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens sat back and played the board, earning them Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, respectively.

Maybe some of these rebuilding franchises with a bit of young talent (like the Jets and Browns) won’t have to tank their way into the No. 1 overall selection. New York sold two superstars for three first-round picks at the deadline last season. Cleveland shipped Myles Garrett to Los Angeles for draft picks and Jared Verse.

Both teams have enough ammunition to trade up if they need to. So, why not try to win a couple of games? Especially in a year where there could be more than one or solid quarterbacks in Round 1. Let some of this young talent develop and learn how to win. Players like Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall have to be sick of losing. Others like Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr. and KC Concepcion still need to learn how to win consistently.