Rams Have No Shot of Getting Arch Manning in 2026

“Not refuting this as a ‘worst-kept secret,’” stated McShay. “But it’s not the only situation to monitor… There’s another team with two first-round picks in ‘26 whose GM’s son is a close friend to Arch at Texas. And the HC has a pretty good history with QBs. Just sayin…”

While that's great and all, plus Les Snead was photographed speaking with Manning at Texas' 2025 pro day, there's about a less than one percent chance the Rams land Manning after this season. Here's why.

There is no chance Manning declares early unless he's a top-three draft pick. His grandfather Archie was the second overall pick in the 1971 NFL Draft, and his uncles Peyton and Eli went first overall in 1998 and 2004, respectively.

So that would mean the Rams would have to be in position to trade up for Manning, and that's dependent on him declaring early, something no one in his family ever did, and this was before paying players was legal.

If the Rams end up as one of the worst teams in the NFL, that's a massive issue but let's be real, unless disaster strikes, that's not going to happen.

So that would mean Atlanta would have to finish in the bottom five of the NFL to even be within trade range for Manning. Considering the Falcons have a potent McVay-style offense and an underrated defense, plus they share a division with the Saints so that's almost two wins already in the bank.

And then there's the Saints. Manning is a native of New Orleans and when Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer was asked if Manning would declare early to play for his hometown and his grandpa's old team, he said this.

"Your premise, though, would make things interesting," stated Breer. "If Manning plays well enough to be a lock to be the first pick by the time we get to January. There’s  an enticing situation in front of him (New Orleans is, of course, his hometown, and the Saints do have some nice young pieces on offense already, plus a new quarterback-friendly head coach), so I guess it’s possible he could decide to go pro."

So that means the Rams would have to jump the Saints.

The obstacles keep increasing, so until we hear something different from inside the facility, it's time to put the Arch Manning to the Rams storyline to bed. Plus, it's July.