3 NFL Teams That Might Regret Skipping Arch Manning Because of Quinn Ewers

The Texas Longhorns are finally tossing Arch Manning into the starting role, two years late and several headaches short. We were all told to be patient while Quinn Ewers — the human coin flip disguised as a quarterback fumbled through two seasons of “development.” Sure, he dragged Texas into the College Football Playoff and managed some glossy numbers, but if you actually watched the games, you know it was more chaos than craft. Meanwhile, Manning sat there, too talented for the bench, too pedigreed to ignore, but apparently too inconvenient for Steve Sarkisian’s obsession with “experience.”

Naturally, some NFL scouts ever the deep thinkers are now wondering if Manning is really a No. 1 overall pick material because, gasp, he dared not overthrow Sark’s teacher’s pet right away. That logic is about as airtight as a paper umbrella in a hurricane, but then again, NFL scouting has never exactly been a temple of rational thought.

Meanwhile, Ewers showed off his NFL chops in his Dolphins debut by completing a stunning 5 of 18 passes for 91 yards the kind of line that makes you want to call the equipment manager just to double-check if he remembered to inflate the footballs.

So, let’s look at a few NFL franchises perfectly incompetent enough to ignore Arch Manning, the kind of front offices who could trip over a golden goose and still ask if it’s chicken.

New York Jets
The Jets are doing their best impression of a franchise on the mend. They brought in Justin Fields, who might finally prove Chicago wasn’t the problem (spoiler: Chicago was not the only problem), and gave Aaron Glenn the big chair, even though history says “great coordinator” often translates to “clueless head coach.”

If the Jets land near the bottom of the standings yet again, passing on Manning would be malpractice so grotesque it should carry jail time. He’s everything Fields isn’t: precise, polished, and actually able to throw the ball downfield without inducing a panic attack. And the cosmic poetry of Eli Manning’s nephew taking over in the Giants’ own building practically writes itself.

But, ah yes, these are the Jets. A franchise that turns gift-wrapped opportunities into flaming disasters as reflexively as most of us breathe. Darren Mougey looks competent for now, but young GMs often can’t resist “proving themselves” with moves that make absolutely no sense. And Woody Johnson? He’s lurking, always ready to ruin things from the owner’s box. If New York finds a way to botch this, it won’t just be predictable — it’ll be the most Jets thing ever.

New Orleans Saints
Arch’s grandfather was drafted by the Saints in 1971, and the family connection has been beaten into the ground so thoroughly you’d think destiny itself is running the draft board. And on paper, the Saints are the NFL’s doormat. Which means, of course, they’ll find a way to make this even sadder.

The front office has spent three years hoarding quarterbacks like they’re trading cards. Tyler Shough (a second-rounder who plays like a fifth-rounder), Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener — the whole sad crew. This is exactly the team that would convince itself that Shough stringing together a few passable games is a divine signal to pass on Manning. Because why grab the most obvious talent available when you can overthink yourself into obscurity?

Saints fans are already daydreaming about Arch wearing black and gold, but daydreams in New Orleans tend to turn into bad hangovers. GM Mickey Loomis hasn’t built anything resembling a contender in years, and his taste in quarterbacks has been more questionable than Bourbon Street life choices. If there’s any team likely to talk itself into a half-measure instead of the clear solution, it’s the Saints.

Cleveland Browns
Finally, the crown jewel of dysfunction: the Cleveland Browns. If you thought other teams were prone to bad decisions, Cleveland is the Picasso of blowing it. Their quarterback “situation” is less a room and more a circus tent Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and oh yes, Deshaun Watson still leeching cap space like a bad subscription service you forgot to cancel.

Sanders looked sharp in his preseason debut, but counting on the 144th overall pick to save your franchise is classic Browns delusion. Manning would be the obvious savior the kind of quarterback the fanbase has prayed for through years of Johnny Manziel meltdowns and Baker Mayfield mood swings. Which is precisely why they won’t take him.

Because the Browns don’t do “obvious.” They do “tragically misguided.” They’ll bend over backward to prove they’re the smartest people in the room, and in doing so, they’ll probably pass on Manning and convince themselves Kenny Pickett is about to have a Josh Allen glow-up.