Could Arch Manning Spurn Giants for Cowboys?

Manning, grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and nephew of both Peyton and Eli Manning, is a redshirt Freshman at Texas. As such, he cannot enter the NFL Draft until at least 2026. But it’s entirely possible he stays for his redshirt junior season or – like his Super Bowl-winning uncles – complete his senior season.

That hasn’t stopped the hype train from running rampant in New York.

However, Arch Manning was recently asked where he’d prefer his grandson play in the NFL. His response may have put a dent in Giants fans’ plans.

“I hope he’ll play three years in Texas,” Manning said of his grandson. “Nobody’s ever asked me that. Right off the bat, if somebody asked me I’d say Cowboys.”

The longer Manning stays in school, the better the chance he ends up in Dallas, although Dak Prescott isn’t necessarily going anywhere anytime soon.

And while it isn’t past the Manning family to force their way out of a specific landing spot, there’s little reason to suggest Texas’ star freshman will pull the tricks that Eli had on his way to the Giants. New York likely won’t be catastrophically bad enough to require running away from, and in the current NFL landscape, prospects don’t have the power to force their way to particular teams.

If Manning is indeed a top-flight quarterback prospect, he’ll find himself drafted accordingly to one of the worst teams in the league. But it’s not a sound plan for any team to try and maneuver their way to a prospect in another year’s class. The Giants could pick a non-quarterback in Round 1 and get the top pick in 2025, only for Manning to stay in school. Or he could declare in a season in which the Giants win too many games.

For now – and for the indefinite future – Manning remains a pipe dream. Feel free to fantasize, but tilting the ice in favor of a Manning selection is not a sound strategy for any organization, no matter how many Mannings have already donned the uniform.