Advertisement
The idea of Arch Manning suiting up for his hometown New Orleans Saints is gaining traction, and it’s not just fantasy anymore.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Saints could have a realistic shot at landing the Texas quarterback. Still, only under one specific condition: They must secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
In his latest mailbag column, Breer explored what it would take for Manning to leave college early and head to the NFL. The key factor? A compelling landing spot, like New Orleans.
“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,” Breer wrote. “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.”
The buzz around Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli and grandson of Saints legend Archie Manning, has been building ever since he committed to Texas. But despite the name recognition, his NFL future is far from set in stone. Manning still has up to three more seasons of college eligibility and has yet to be named the Longhorns’ full-time starter.
Even if he emerges as a top quarterback in 2025, he could still opt to return for another year. That makes his 2026 draft status anything but guaranteed.
On the other hand, the Saints appear to be in quarterback limbo. With Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler battling it out this preseason, there’s little long-term stability under centre. Should the team underperform and find themselves at the bottom of the standings in 2025, that No. 1 pick could put them in a position to do something poetic: draft the hometown kid to lead the franchise.
It’s too early to make any predictions, but one thing’s clear, if the Saints wind up with the top pick in 2026, the pressure to bring Arch Manning home will be immense. And from Breer’s perspective, it could be enough to convince Manning to declare early.
It’s a wait-and-see scenario. But for now, Saints fans can dream: Manning in black and gold would be quite the storybook moment.