Rams Can't Bank on Arch Manning to Declare in 2026

The odds that Arch Manning enters the 2026 NFL Draft took a massive swing downwards after a recent report has alledged that the Texas Longhorns football program is prepared to spend 40 million dollars on their roster, according to the Houston Chronicle's Kirk Bohls.

"With the addition of 10 football players out of the transfer portal and probably one or two more on the way, the budget for next season’s Texas roster has grown as well." Wrote Bohls. "It currently sits somewhere "between $35 million and $40 million,” which counts the likely revenue-sharing allotment expected to be $20.5 million as well as payouts through the Texas One Fund," Bohls said.

"This also figures to be a one-time exorbitant expense because athletic director Chris Del Conte and others have said the school plans to phase out its collective in favor of the revenue-sharing via the House settlement and with the move to name, image, and likeness payouts through corporations."

“The next season after this year, the whole world will be back to reality ... Head coach Steve Sarkisian applauded quarterback Quinn Ewers for not taking money from the Texas One Fund although the Texas source said he got some but was paid the bulk of his money by corporations “so Texas could have more good players around him," Bohls said.

Bohls would then go on to explain what all of this means for Arch Manning.

"Quarterback Arch Manning is “by far the highest-paid Texas player,” as expected, but doesn’t take a dime from the school. He and his family acquired all his deals on their own “with no help from the school," Bohls said.

Manning has a very cushy setup at Texas, and the Manning family knows the NFL doesn't develop quarterbacks as they once did. The Manning's never left school early, with Eli Manning once saying he would have stayed at Ole Miss another year if he could've.

The reason Quinn Ewers went to the NFL instead of becoming one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in college by transferring out of Texas is due to Texas' money. He'll make more money long-term via speaking engagements as a former Longhorn quarterback than he would have if he transferred for one year.

Considering the money he currently makes, the money he could make if he becomes a Longhorn legend, the money he could make if the school starts paying him directly as well, and the ability to properly develop while surrounded by an All-Star roster, it's unlikely Manning enters the 2026 NFL Draft.

The good news for the Rams, a team that has spoken to Manning in the past, is that LaNorris Sellers is right there and he's ready to roll.