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Rams quietly covet Arch Manning as next franchise QB and insider reveals why they believe he's built to succeed their star

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Wendell Ferreira | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 2:26 PM ET

Arch Manning will have his first season as a full-time college starter at Texas, but the NFL already has its eyes on the next NFL quarterback of the Manning family. And a team in particular has a clear vision for the prospect, projecting a Josh Allen-type ceiling.

With Matthew Stafford getting closer to retirement, the Los Angeles Rams covet Arch Manning, according to Yahoo Sports writer Charles Robinson.

"Manning is tied to the Rams for a very obvious reason: Les Snead’s stepson Tate is known to be a close friend of Arch Manning, and Snead himself was seen chatting up Arch Manning at the Texas pro day prior to the 2025 NFL Draft.

But it goes deeper than that. Speaking to a handful of Rams personnel sources, Manning is — at this moment — considered by the staff to be the lone Tier 1 quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft, regardless of who else could potentially enter into the selection process. Why? The Rams covet Manning’s prototypical size (6-foot-4, 219 pounds) and throwing acumen … but also believe it’s his level of athleticism that sets him apart from from every other college football quarterback. So much so, the comparison for Manning inside the franchise is that his ceiling after the 2025 college football season could be a Josh Allen-type of prospect who is actually stronger physically and a faster running athlete than Allen was when he entered the draft in 2018." — Charles Robinson.

Arch Manning is 21 years old and appeared in 10 games last season at Texas, starting two of them. He completed 67.8% of his passes, with nine touchdowns and two interceptions. As a runner, Manning also added 108 yards and four touchdowns to his production.

Stafford's situation

The Rams have carefully managed Matthew Stafford's contract to maintain flexibility. This offseason, the team agreed to a two-year, $84 million adjusted deal, but there are no guarantees beyond 2025. Stafford is slated to make $44 million in 2025, and there is $40 million on the table for 2026—but it only becomes guaranteed on the fifth day of the next league year, in March. The veteran quarterback may consider retirement, or the Rams could ponder about a trade or release if they have a chance to move on to a younger passer.

The most difficult part to project is that Arch Manning could easily go high in the draft. For the Rams to be in that range, they would have to be bad in 2025—which is fairly unlikely— or make an aggressive trade up.

Nonetheless, the idea of a player as talented as Arch Manning playing under head coach Sean McVay is amazing for football fans—unless you root for an NFC West divisional rival.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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